CAPRA. 
in onr garden?, where it can scarcely be 
made to flower, except in a stove with great 
care. 
CAPRA, the goat, in natural history, a 
gemis of Mammalia of the order Pecora. 
Generic character; horns hollow, com- 
pressed ; rough, almost close at their base, 
turned bach ; eight lower fore teeth ; no 
tusks ; chin in the mate bearded. Of these 
there are three species, of which we shall 
attend particularly to the C. hircus, or 
common goat. This animal is found do- 
mesticated in almost every part of the 
globe, but was introduced into America, 
only on its discovery by Europeans. In its 
internal structure it extremely resembles 
slieep, but is far superior to them in alert- 
ness, sentiment, and intelligence. Tiie 
goat approaches man without difficulty, is 
won by kindness, and capable of attach- 
ment. Confinement is ill suited to his ex- 
cursive tendencies, and he is fond of retir- 
ing into solitude, and ranging on the cliffs 
of tile most rugged and barren mountains. 
He will not oniy climb and stand on the 
loftiest craggs, but sleep also on the verge 
of the most steep and terrific precipices. 
He is capable of eudiiring both cold and 
beat, and the most ardent rays of the. sun 
produce in him no vertigo or sickness of 
any description, the violence of storms 
causes him little or no inconveniences, but 
be suffers somewhat from very rigorous 
cold. His organs are extremely supple, 
and his frame is robust and nervous. Al- 
most all herbs are used by him for food, 
and few are noxious to him. His favourite 
nourishment, however, is derived from the 
tender branches and bark of trees and shrubs, 
from lichens and hemlock. He is sprightly, 
roaming, and lascivious in the extreme ; 
inconstant, and capricious in his temper ; 
and the vivacity of his feelings is exhi- 
bited in a perpetual succession of rapid, 
abrupt, and sportive movements. He pre- 
fers barren heatlis to luxuriant pastures, 
avoids moist and marshy places, and never 
flourishes but in monntainous, or at least 
elevated situations. The female will allow 
itself to be sucked by the young of various 
other animals, and a foal which has lost 
its mother, has been seen thus nourished 
by a goat, whicli in order to facilitate 
the process was placed on a barrel. The 
attachment between the nurse and foal 
appeared strong and natural. The milk of 
the goat, containing few oily particles, is 
much valued in medicine, and being easily 
cnidled, is formed into cheese of high esti- 
mation. The celebrated Parmesan cheese 
is made of it. 
The goats of Wales are generally white, 
and are both stronger and larger than those 
of other hilly comitries. Their flesh is 
much used by the inhabitants, and often 
dried and salted, and substituted for bacon. 
Tire skins of kids are much valued for 
gloves, and were formerly employed in 
funiiture, when painted with rich colours, 
of which they are particularly capable, and 
embellished with ornamental flowers and 
w'orks of silver and gold. 
The extremely unpleasant odour attend- 
ing these animals is supposed to he bene- 
ficial, and horses appear so much refreshed 
by it, that agoat is on this account often 
kept in the s.tables of the great. Of the 
many varieties of this species, that of An- 
gora is the most curious. It is principally 
valued for its long and exquisitely fine hair, 
which it loses by a change of pasture from 
the immediate vicinity of Angora, and 
which the owners are incessantly assiduous 
in washing and combing, and otherwise 
promoting its growth' and cleanliness. It 
is formed into camlets of the finest tex- 
ture. 
TJie Syrian goat is remarkable for its 
pendulous ears, and is common in various 
parts of the East : the animals of this 
variety are driven in flocks through the 
Oriental tow'iis every morning and evening, 
and each iiousekeeper sees drawm from 
them, before her door, as much milk as she 
is in want of. See Mammalia, Plate 'VI. 
fig. 6. 
The Chamois goat inhabits the most ele- 
vated mountains of Europe, and feeds on 
shrubs, roots, and herbs ; its chase is ex- 
tremely laborious and dangerous : its sight 
and smell are both exquisite : it is particu- 
larly shy : its swiftness is also very gr eat, 
and it makes its way with speed over the 
most pointed rocks, can mount or descend 
precipices with facility, and hang on steeps 
nearly perpendicular. Plate VI. fig. 5. 
C. Ibex, or the Ibex goat of Pennant. 
This is considerably larger than the last 
species : its blood was formerly deemed a 
specific in the materia niedica for various 
diseases: its strength and feeling are ex- 
traordinary : it is found in the Carpathian 
and Pyrennean mountains, in the Rhoetian 
Alpl, in Crete, and in Tartary, Wiieir 
hardly pressed it will throw itself from a 
vast height with little or no injury, con- 
triving always to fall on its Ijorns. Plate 
IV. fig. 4. 
