THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
too, are either scimitar-shaped like the cegagrus or divergent on the upper 
half, like the tur or Spanish ibex, and both forms are often found in the 
same herd. Horns of 33 or 34 inches are not rare, whilst Scottish specimens 
have attained 37| inches in length. The finest head I have seen is one shot by 
the late Lord David Kennedy on the mountains near Fishguard, in Wales. It 
measures 36 inches in length and has a very wide span. Wild goats are 
now numerous in various parts of the British Islands and are found in 
Wales, several parts of Ireland, notably on the western face of Achill 
Island, and throughout the deer forests of Scotland. The lover of the rifle 
who has a month to spend in June or July, when other sport with the rifle, 
except roe stalking, is scarce, might do worse than pass his time in obtain- 
ing a couple of good goat heads. Permission to shoot them is often easily 
obtained, and the sport is excellent. When they have been pursued for 
several years goats soon learn to take care of themselves, and even if 
their chase is not quite so difficult as that of other hill game, the hunter 
can at least pursue them by himself and they will teach him several wrinkles 
in the art of stalking. 
I remember when I was a boy having many delightful and unsuccessful 
hunts after a herd of wild goats that roamed the Perthshire hills between 
Rohallion and Kinnaird. There were some fifteen animals, with three 
fine “billies,” and the number of stalks I made with poor results 
taught me, at any rate, a good deal of what the hunter ought not to do. 
Of course the young males and females gave several excellent chances, 
but at the end of two seasons the old males still preserved a whole skin 
and the horns I coveted. 
The best hunt I ever had after goats was in 1891, when I obtained leave 
to shoot a wild billy that roamed the mountains near Garve, to the north 
of Strathpeffer. In this herd, which had been wild for a century, was one 
immense white male and a good black one. For a whole week I pursued 
the herd, without once getting within shot of the white male, which carried 
a splendid head. Twice the black male, whose horns were very fair, stood 
in the way and could have been shot, but I would not fire at him for fear 
of destroying the chance of getting the big one. So the last day came when 
I had to return to duty and leave the goats, for that season at least. A fine 
day and good for spying appeared after a week of rain, and on the limit of 
my ground I found the herd grazing at 5 a. m. on a steep shale slope. Two 
old females kept guard, as usual, whilst the males fed and the kids played 
about. The position the goats were in was in the hollow of a corrie and one 
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