THE IBEX. 



Generic Characters. 

 Horns bent backwards, and almoft clofe at their bafe. 

 Eight cutting teeth in the lower jaw, none in the upper. 

 The male bearded. 



Synonims. 



Ibex, Plin. lib. viii. c. 53. 



Le Bouquetin, de Buffon, xii. 136. tab. xiii. xiv. Zimmerman, 114, 

 Steinbock, Kramer Aujir. 321. Ridingere kleine Thiere, No. 71. 



THE Ibex is mentioned by Buffon as being the ftock from whence the 

 Common or Domeftic Goat has defcended. It greatly refembles that 

 animal in the formation of its body; but its knotty and incurvated horns 

 are considerably larger, fometimes growing to the length of three feet. 

 The head of this quadruped is fmall, that of the male adorned with a dufky 

 beard; the eyes are large; the hair is rough; the top of the back marked 

 with a black line. The legs are diverlified with black and white; the thighs 

 and belly are of a delicate fawn colour ; and the other parts of a deep brown, 

 mingled with hoary. 



The female is confiderably fmaller than the male: her horns feldom 

 exceed eight inches in length, and have but few knobs on the upper furfaee. 



Thefe animals are extremely wild, ftrong, and agile; and fometimes turn 

 with fuch fury upon the incautious huntfman, as to throw him headlong 

 down the eminence, uniefs he has time to elude the danger, by proltrating 

 himfelf on the earth till they have palTed over him. 



