THE SPANISH IBEX. 975 



I must now proceed to the complete description of the Central 

 Spain Ibex. His Majesty King Alfonso XIII. has specially and 

 graciously permitted me, at my own request, to dedicate this 

 subspecies to Her Majesty Queen Victoria of Spain. I have 

 great pleasure in doing so, in lecognition both of her love of 

 nature and of the fact that Royal protection only has prevented 

 the total extinction of this splendid ruminant. 



Capra pvrexaica victori/E, subsp. n. 



Diagnosis. — An intei-mediate form, in size and in the extent of 

 the black markings, between C. ]>■ Jiyrenaica and C. jt». hisjmnica, 

 rather browner than hispanica in the summer coat, and with horns 

 similar in size to those of that race, but comparatively broader 

 and iiattei'. 



Colour. — -Adult male, summer pelage : Upper surface of body 

 pale bi-occoli-brown, sometimes inclining to raw umber, and more 

 or less white-washed on the sides. Neck fawn-coloured, paler, and 

 fi-equently whitish, on the under surface. A black stiipe, bordei-ed 

 with white hairs, starts from a large black blot covering the nape 

 and runs along the upper part of the neck and over the back, 

 reaching to the tip of the tail. On the neck the hairs of this 

 stripe are long and erect, forming a short mane. On the back 

 the white hairs form a narrow and not very distinct light area on 

 both sides of the black median line. Belly and inner side of 

 thighs white. A broad black band, grizzled with white at the 

 borders, crosses obliquely the lower part of the flanks, its anterior 

 point going into the white of the underparts. Thighs black, 

 except on the hinder border, which is light bufi". The black 

 spreads downwards, encircling the limb above the hock and 

 covering the front and sides of the leg and the whole foot from 

 some distance above the false hoofs. The fore feet and the front 

 and lateral surfaces of the fore limbs are likewise black, this 

 colour reaching the lower half of the shoulders, the chest, and the 

 lower part of the ventral aspect of the neck, where it is coarsely 

 mixed with white. Back of the legs ci'eamy white. Forehead 

 seal-brown ; cheeks brownish grey ; the eyes encircled with 

 ochraceous bufi", and the muzzle and the upper lip are of the same 

 colour. The beard brownish black, this dark tint covering also 

 the sides of the lower jaw to the rim of the mouth, whereas the 

 middle of the lower lip is dirty white. The ears fawn-coloured on 

 their outer aspect, yellowish white within. 



Winter pelage : The main colour of the upper parts of the body 

 and neck turns in winter a dirty buff, densely clouded with black 

 on the flanks, the hairs being white at their bases and then pale 

 cream-buft' with a brown or blackish tip, and covering a whitish 

 under-fvir. Thi-oat and undei'side of the neck seal-brown, touched 

 here and there with chestnut. Black areas distributed as in the 

 summer coat, but not so abruptly defined, their upper borders 

 melting into the black clouding on the sides. The colours of the 

 head are practically the same as in summer, the cheeks only being 

 slightly paler and somewhat buffy. 



