Mammals The Goat 
in the show. It is most unnatural for a goat to stay 
upon the flat ground; also it is never dizzy, and 
is perfectly sure of its footing in hazardous situations. 
Goats are sagacious animals, and a few are often 
kept with the great droves of sheep on our western 
ranches. The goat’s office in a flock of sheep is 
that of leader, and the sheep have perfect confidence 
in him in this respect. For instance, a goat will lead 
a herd of sheep across a single log above a mountain 
torrent with perfect safety. If the herd is attacked 
by wolves or other enemies, the goat will give warning 
by its cries, while sheep are always silent under such 
an attack. 
Perhaps none of our domestic animals have been 
so widely useful to man the world over as the goat. 
When man was a Nomad he took with him in his 
wanderings his herd of goats. He drank their 
milk, ate their flesh, wove their hair into clothing, 
made garments of their pelts, and used their skins 
for bags in which to carry a supply of water. These 
goat-skin waterbags are often seen in Mohammedan 
countries about the Mediterranean at the present 
day. Indeed, in the Orient, all these uses of the 
goat mentioned above continue at present. Even 
in cities of Southern Europe herds of goats are driven 
along the streets to be milked at the doors of cus- 
tomers. A common sight in Naples is a goat climb- 
ing two or three flights of stairs in a tenement, so 
as to reach the door of her patron. 
Many countries have developed their special 
breeds of goats. The Swiss farmers have found 
this animal especially adapted to the mountainous 
pastures; and in some isolated valleys, encompassed 
by mountains, like the Saane and Toggenburg 
valleys, there have been developed breeds of goats 
52 
