G O A 
G O A 
in Laplandj where they make a prodigious hum- 
ming in the dufk of the evening. They bite with 
great levericy, generally attacking the eyes, moutli, 
and face; and are not eafily deterred, notwith- 
flanding the minutenels of their fize, which does 
not exceed that of a flea. 
Gnat, Downy, with wings partly duflcy. This 
variety is found in gardens, where they fly un- 
ceafingly, and feem to delight in the finell of 
flowers. Ray calls this the Gnat Hiaped like the 
filkworm moth, all over fetaceous and black, 
with the hinder part of the body blunt, and red 
fides. 
Gnat, Black, with a duflcy body and a white 
forehead. In the Tranfa£lions of Upfal, this fpe- 
cies is called the leaft blood-fucking fly with white 
wings. It is extremely troublefome to horfes in 
the fummer feafon, getting under their hair, and 
extra6ling their blood. The feelers refemble 
threads, though the infeft is fliaped like a fly; the 
Lead, feet, and breaft, are black, except that the 
fides of the latter are afk-coloured, and that there 
is a v/hite fpot above and below the eyes. 
GO. An appellation given by fome authors 
to the common rock-fifli, or fea-gudgeon. 
GOAT. In the Linnsan fyftem of zoology, 
the Goat makes a difl:in(5l genus of the order of 
pecora: the diftinguifning characSlers of which are ; 
that the horns are hollow, turned upwards, and 
annulated on their furfaces ; that there are eight 
cutting-teeth in the lov/er jaw, and none in the 
upper ; and that the male is generally bearded. 
The Goat is one of thofe domeftic animals 
whofe value is overlooked, becaufe the fiiecp fo 
far exceeds it : thus the afs is of little confequence, 
becaufe the horfe fuppli^s it's place. Were the 
horfe or the fheep removed from nature, the afs 
and the Goat would be invaluable; and the fame 
arts would immediately be beftowed in cultivating 
•and improving their kinds, that the higher orders 
of animals experience. But, in their prefent neg- 
lefted (late, they vary little from the wild animals 
of the fame kind: man has left them, their primi- 
tive habits and forms ; and, the lefs they are in- 
debted to his afliduity, the more they receive from 
nature. 
The Goat, viewed in every poflible light, feems 
better adapted for a life of favage liberty than the 
llieep. It is naturally m,ore lively, and pofieffed of 
more animal inlrinft; ii; more readily attaches itfelf 
to man, and appears fenflbie of his careflTes : it is alfo 
ft:ronger, fwifter, more courageous, more playful, 
and m.ore capricious and vagrant, than the fheep; 
it is with diuicuky confined to a flock ; it chufes 
it's own pafcures ; and loves to flray from it's com- 
panions. It is fond of climbing precipices; it de- 
lights in approaching the very brink of danger; 
and it is often feen fufpended on an eminence 
overhanging the fea, and even to deep in that fitu- 
ation in perfe6l fecurity, Nature, indeed, has in 
fomiC meafure fitted this animal for traverfing 
thcfe declivities witheafe: it's hoofs are hollov/ 
underneath, and their edges fnarp ; fo that it can 
v/alk on the ridge of a houfe with as much facility 
as on level ground. When two Goats are yoaked 
together, as is frequently praftifed, they will, as 
if by confent, take the moft hazardous leaps, and 
-yet fo well time their mutual effbrts, that they 
will rarely mifcarry in the attempt. 
As Goats are hardy creatures, and very eafily fu- 
ftained, they are for that reafon chiefly the property 
of the poor, who have no pafl:ures to fupply more 
delicate animals. They prefer the negleded wilds 
to the cultivated fields of art; they chufe the 
heathy mountains, or the flirubby rocks; the tops of 
the boughs, or the tender bark of young trees, are 
their favourite food; they bear immoderate heat 
much better than fheep ; and are neither terrified 
at a fliorm, nor incommoded by rain ; feeming only 
afi^efted by immoderate cold, which produces the 
vertigo, a difeafe often fatal to thefe animals. The 
inconftancy of their nature is perceivable in '■he ir- 
regularity of their gait; they go fonvard, frop, turn, 
approach, and fly, merely from caprice and the 
extreme vivacity of their diipofitions. 
The Goat produces but tv/o or three at a time ; 
and though it degenerates in warm climates, and 
is much fmaller, it neverthelefs becomes more 
fi-uitful, and generally brings forth three, four, or 
even five, at a fingle delivery. The buck is ca- 
pable of procreating it's kind at the age of tv/elve 
months, and the female at that of feven : however, 
the fruits of this premature generation are v/eak and 
defeftive; and their befl: breeding time is gene- 
rally delayed till the age of two years. One buck 
is fufficient for a hundred and fifty goats: his ap- 
petites are exceffive; but this ardour brings on a 
fpeedy decay, fo that he is enervated in four years 
at moft, and even becomes old before he arrives 
at feven. The Goat, in fome places, bears twice 
a year; and, like the fheep, continues five months 
with young. 
The milk of the Goat is fweet, nutritive, and 
medicinal; leis liable to coagulate on the ftomach 
than that of the cov/, and therefore preferable when 
the digeftion is weak. The peculiarity of this 
animaks food communicates a flavour to it's milk 
different from that of the fheep or the cow; for as 
it generally feeds on flirubby paftures and heathy 
mountains, there is a particular tafre in it's milk 
which is very grateful to fuch as are fond of that 
aliment. 
In feveral parts of Ireland, and the Highlands 
of Scotland, Goats conftiture the chief poi4eflaons 
of the natives. On thofe mountains v/here no 
other animals could fubfifl-, thefe creatures glean a 
fufficient maintenance, and fupply the hardy inha- 
bitants with a varied luxury. Their beds are made 
of Goats fkins, which are foft, clean, and whole- 
fome; they feaft on their milk, and convert one 
part of it into butter, and another into cheefe: 
their fiefli, however, is a delicacy they feidom 
tafle, it being reckoned too expenfive. The kid 
is confidered, even by the epicure, as a dainty j 
and the fiefli of the Goat, when properly prepared, 
is preferred by fome to venifon. 
Thus, even in the wildelt folitudes, the poor 
experience comforts of which the rich have not 
been cruel enough to difpoffefs them. In thofe 
mountainous retreats, where the landfcape prefents 
only a fcene of rocks, heaths, and flirubs, that pro- 
claim the wretchednefs of the foil, thefe fimple 
people have their feafl:s and their enjoyments: 
their trufl:y flocks of Goats attend them in thofe 
aweful folitudes, and furnifh them v/ith all the ne- 
cefi^aries of life; while their remote fituation hap- 
pily keeps them ignorant of greater luxuries. 
Goats are found in almoft every part of the 
world, and feem fuited to the neceflaties of man- 
kind in both extremes: they are fattened in the 
lame manner as flieep ; but, notwithflianding every 
poflible precaution, their flefh is neither fo good 
nor fo fweet, in our climates, as mutton. But, 
between the tropics^ the cafe i,s very different; the 
mutton 
