Wild Goat of Afghanistan. 523 



less intense. During the winter it is paler, and in old spe- 

 cimens altogether pale grey, with the exception of the 

 points about to be noticed. 



The face, in the mature male, is of a deep sooty brown, ap- 

 proaching to black, interspersed with grey at the base of the 

 horns and on the cheeks ; the forepart of the throat and the 

 chest are also of the same colour, which rises obliquely from 

 the latter round the shoulders, and unites at the withers, so 

 as to form a dark and distinctly formed collar, while the 

 same colour again extends itself in a stripe along the back 

 from the base of the horns to the extremity of the tail, 

 which is wholly dark brown or black. The tail is short ; 

 naked beneath, and carried, when the animal is alarmed and 

 on the alert, turned up, and firmly pressed against the back, 

 as in the domestic species ; in general however, if undis- 

 turbed, the tail is carried pendent. 



The beard is moderately long, of a deep brown or black, 

 sometimes interspersed with a few white hairs, and springs 

 from the chin. 



The shoulders are of a deep brownish grey, which con- 

 tinues down to the knees from thence to the fetlocks, and 

 forms two bands round the leg, the one at the knee and 

 houghs, the other at the pastern joints ; the belly and under- 

 pays are whitish, with a deep brown medial line on the sides, 

 which passes along the anterior edge of the hind legs. 



At the first glance, therefore, the black lines on the pale 

 grey are the most prominent features, added to which, are 

 the immense recurved horns and dark beard. 



The above, it must be remembered, is the description of a 

 mature animal in its winter garb. In summer it puts on 

 quite a different dress, the whole of the upper parts being of 

 a yellowish or fawn coloured brown ; the mane on the neck 

 and withers nearly or altogether wanting, and the face 

 possesses a brown front or streak down its centre, with a 

 stripe of the same colour from the inner canthus of each eye 



