Wild Goat of Afghanistan. 53S 



(Ovis cycloceros. Nob.) was also confined, and they narrowly 

 escaped falling victims to his violence; they were then re- 

 moved, and allowed to select their own retreat. This the 

 mother did for them, by ascending a back-staircase, which 

 was very dark, and led up to a retired lumber room, where 

 empty casks, &c. were kept. From this retreat the mother 

 descended two or three times a day to feed, but the young 

 ones, although only possessing one-fourth of the original 

 wild blood, were so shy and timid, that they never came 

 down except during the short twilight of the evening, when 

 all was still, and the yard nearly deserted ; they then gam- 

 bolled about in the cool air, retreating again to their solita- 

 ry den as morning or any intruder approached. The old 

 one now became bolder than before, and sometimes posted 

 herself at the top of the stairs, so as to dispute the passage, 

 which if a person were unprovided with a stick, she usually 

 did successfully. 



The shyness of the kids was a strange feature in their dis- 

 position, as the young of domestic goats are fearless, and 

 troublesomely tame even from their birth, while these, with 

 but a fourth part of the blood of the original wild stock, were 

 so timid, as to cower beneath the touch, and even at the pre- 

 sence of a beholder. Unlike the frolicsome tame kids, too, 

 they preferred the solitude of their dark retreat, and gam- 

 bolled together unseen, except by stealth, and the moment 

 they were aware of the presence of an intruder, crouching 

 down into a corner, and throwing timid and furtive glances 

 around them. 



Even when other kids were present, they kept apart to- 

 gether, and would not associate with them. This shyness 

 continued until they were about six weeks old, when they be- 

 came more familiar, but would never allow themselves to be 

 handled. At about two months old, the horns began to pro- 

 trude, and gradually the kids became bolder, and were turned 

 with their mother into a flock of tame goats. As summer 



