282 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



is straight ; the ears longish and narrow ; the eyes similar 

 to those of the Goat, and the incisor teeth as in the Com- 

 mon Antelope ; the horns are six, seven, and even eight 

 inches long, slender, round, striated, and terminated in a 

 complete posterior hook ; they stand vertically on the head, 

 and are common to both sexes ; the tail is short and black ; 

 the hair is of two qualities upon the neck and body, the 

 superior and longest brown, varying to gray with the sea- 

 sons, and the inferior short, woolly, close and gray ; the 

 face, cheeks, and throat, are yellowish white, with a broad 

 band passing rather beneath the eye, to near the corner of 

 the mouth, and the rump, similarly coloured, has a darker 

 streak along the edge, where it unites with the longer hairs 

 of the croup ; the legs are brownish ; and the hoofs solid and 

 strong, have their outer edges higher than the soles. 



The Chamois is known to inhabit the wildest and most 

 abrupt regions of high mountains, but does not ascend to 

 those elevated ranges which the Ibex alone delights to visit : 

 more feeble in its nature, the valleys of the Glaciers form 

 the limit of the temperature it can bear, and the woody 

 belts beneath them, the verge below which it seldom de- 

 scends. Its physical strength is thus in harmony with the 

 localities it prefers. Although in vigour and activity the 

 Ibex stands pre-eminent, the Chamois is next, running 

 with rapidity along the most perpendicular ledges, spring- 

 ing across precipices, and bounding from'rock to rock with 

 a steadiness and security truly wonderful. We have seen 

 it leaping down a precipice, sliding first the fore-legs down 

 the steep, while with the spurious hoofs of the hind-feet 

 it held the edge of the rock with firmness, till the centre of 

 gravity was lowered as far as possible, then, bounding for- 

 ward, by a jerk of the body during the descent, turn the 

 croup under, and alight on the hind-feet first, with such 

 apparent ease, that the fore-feet dropped close to the 

 hinder, and all expression of effort vanished. These descents 



