Notes on the Fauna of North Western Spain. 337 



Cervus capreolus. Roe. „Corzo". 



Common in the woods, as Ponferrada, Villafranca, Piedrafita. In 

 the Sierra de Picos the roe ascends to a hight of 3500 feet and 

 grazes not unfrequently close to the chamois. 



Several untenable and wild suggestions have been made to ex- 

 plain the origin of the word corzo, but the following series of 

 changes is very reasonable: caprea, caurea, corea, corja, 

 corza. A ränge of mountains, S.-W. of the Sierra de Picos, is ac- 

 tually still called Sierra de Caurel, and is, as I was informed by 

 people at the pass of Piedrafita, famous for its game. 



Hupicapra tragus. Chamois. „Rebezo" and „Gamuza". 



The distribution of the Spanish chamois coincides with the Pyrenees 

 and the whole of the Cantabrian or Asturian ränge. The north western 

 limit is that of the higher and wilder parts of the Sierra de Picos, 

 excluding the neighbourhood of Piedrafita and Becerrea. There are 

 no chamois to the South of the Cantabrian ränge. 



Above Burbia, in the Sierra de Picos, the chamois seems to be 

 plentiful all the year round. We were told of a herd of „more than 

 a hundred", probably less, which had been seen on one or two 

 occasions in the early summer of last year. Small troops of five to 

 eight could easily be observed during our stay m those parts; these 

 troops are always composed of females and young, while the males 

 lead a solitary life and are very shy and wary. The chamois spends 

 the night upon the ragged peaks, comes down in the morning to feed, 

 and descends into the bushy slopes in order to rest in the shade 

 during the heat of the day. We have seen them descend to the level 

 of not more than 3500 feet. 



The Spanish chamois, of which I was fortunate enough to pro- 

 cure several specimens, differs in several points from the typical race 

 of Switzerland, Bavaria and the Tyrol. It is of a considerably more 

 slender build, the neck especially appearing longer and more 

 graceful in proportion. The general colour, in summer, is of a lighter 

 and more reddish brown, although such intensely coloured specimens 

 are also met with in the Austrian Tyrol. Lastly the Spanish cha- 

 mois lacks the black stripe which in the Central European race ex- 

 tends from the neck along the spine to the root of the tail. 



The chamois is supposed to have a close time and, belonging to 

 the „caza mayor", is not to be killed without a game license, but in 

 the Sierra de Picos, whoever has a gun, helps himself, and whenever 



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