118 ME. Q. BUSK ON THE ANCIENT OE 



The three forms in question are : — 



1 . Capra ibex, Linn. C. alpina. Girt. 



Distinguished by its tuberculated, crescentic, divergent, subquadrangular horns, 

 compressed towards the apex, and in the female smaller and more even on the 

 surface. The male is altogether beardless. 



Though formerly more widely distributed, I believe this species is restricted at 

 present to one or two Alpine valleys on the southern or Italian side of Monte Rosa. 



2. Capea ptbenaica, Bruch. 



With the habit of the Alpine Ibex, but with a strong black beard. The horns are 

 thick, rounded in front and on the outer side, internally flattened, and behind 

 compressed into an acute angle, whence the transverse section is pyriform. They 

 diverge at first abruptly, and afterwards are twisted spirally inwards and downwards ; 

 so that eventually the inner surface comes to look outwards, and the anterior inwards 

 and dovsTiwards. In the female the horns are short and simply curved, flattened before 

 and behind. It is found only on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. 



3. Capea hispanica, Schimper '. 



Distinguished from the Alpine Ibex by its large thick horns (in the male), which 

 almost coalesce at the base, and are rounded and irregularly tuberculated in front, 

 with an acute angle on the inner side. They rise at first parallel to each other, and then 

 suddenly diverge, cuiwing backwards, and again bending inwards towards the point 

 (lyrate). In the female the horns are small and compressed. The male is furnished 

 with a short, truncated, black beard. 



This species is found, apparently in considerable abundance, in several of the 

 mountainous sierras of Southern Spain, such as the Sierra Nevada, Sierra de Ronda, 

 De Gredos, &c. 



From the above descriptions it will be seen that, whilst the Alpine Ibex is obviously 

 very distinct in external characters from either of the Spanish forms, the two latter 

 agree so closely with each other that it is impossible to regard them as more than 

 very closely allied varieties. I believe that Professor Schimper is himself now of this 

 opinion. 



For all practical purposes, however, on the present occasion, I shall assume that 

 there are two distinct species, or at least well-marked permanent varieties, of Ibex 

 found in the European area — one peculiar to the Alpine chain of mountains and perhaps 

 found on the northern side of the Pyrenees, and the other confined to the mountainous 

 regions of the Spanish peninsula. 



1 Comptes Eendus, 1848 ; Eev. Zool. 1848, p. 90. 



