526 Wild Goat of Afghanistan. 



tains, down which an animal not endowed with this pow- 

 er, would inevitably be hurled headlong, and dashed to 

 atoms. 



Another curious and most interesting circumstance I 

 several times witnessed also, and one that evidently evinces 

 on the part of the animal, a knowledge that his horns are 

 given him for other purposes than as the mere weapons of 

 offence or defence when combating with his species. 



I had often wondered, while watching the rapid springs of 

 this animal, of what use such enormous horns could be, and 

 whether they were not to all appearance more likely to 

 encumber than to be of use to it. One morning, however, 

 the goat had by a side leap against a wall managed to throw 

 himself to the top of a large and lofty gateway, about twelve 

 feet from the ground ; this he constantly did. 



In dropping down again from this height, he made no use 

 of the side wall by which he ascended. On the morning in 

 question, his foot slipped just as he was dropping off, and 

 being thus thrown violently forward off his balance, he 

 would, but for his horns, have severely injured his knees and 

 skull ; but no sooner did he feel himself falling than he bent 

 his chin firmly down upon his breast, so as to bring his long 

 recurved horns to the front, and upon these he received the 

 shock of his fall, without sustaining the slightest injury. 



His instantly resorting to this manoeuvre on several similar 

 occasions, clearly convinced me, that he knew how to turn 

 his horns to a good account, and proved that they are both 

 in size and shape well and wisely adapted to protect the 

 animal from the death, which a false step would almost in- 

 variably lead to, were he unprovided by nature with a suit- 

 able protection. Hence we should learn to pause ere we 

 pronounce the gifts of the Allwise, disproportioned, or ill 

 adapted to an animal's mode of life, and we should learn to 

 see and to acknowledge, that nothing has been made in vain, 

 or without positive and peculiar use, according to the de- 



