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ALMOST HUMAN 
his value as a scavenger, for valuables would disappear with the same 
unconcern that he would exhibit in eating rubbish. It is said that this 
hairy sheep with his long mane is the original type from which have sprung 
all our modern sheep, and it is believed that by careful crossing now 
the size of our sheep could be wonderfully increased. But should such 
crossbreds inherit the jumping capacity of the Aoudad the increased size 
would be purchased at a big cost. There is a fence about 8ft. high 
surrounding this one’s paddock, but he has been known to clear it more 
than once. 
CHAMOIS 
WHEN AUSTRIA BEAT AUSTRALIA. 
Not long before the outbreak of war, the late Emperor Francis 
Joseph sent a fine pair of chamois as a present to the New Zealand 
Government for liberation upon Mount Cook, in the hope that they would 
become acclimatised and would breed and flourish there. Latest reports 
indicate that the hope is likely to be realised. As the Melbourne Zoo- 
logical Gardens are the quarantine station for all such animals coming 
from overseas, the chamois had to be detained there for three months 
before being forwarded to the Dominion. The pair took most kindly to 
their new quarters. The doe was in poor condition after her long sea 
voyage, but the buck had stood it remarkably well. They appeared to 
be nice, quiet animals at first, though most painfully timid; but after 
they had been well-fed and had had plenty of exercise for a month or 
so the buck began to swagger about the paddock with a lordly air as if 
he were rehearsing for the part of Lord High Executioner. Whenever 
a keeper entered his enclosure he would stalk around him with a comic- 
ally questioning air, which made the man feel most uncomfortable. He 
did not know whether the chamois was merely admiring him, or was 
investigating his person for the purpose of deciding which place was best 
for an attack. The staff had had experience of young bucks with short, 
sharp horns and mild manners before, and so it was decided that until 
his character was better known no risks should be taken, but that when 
one man entered the grounds to do any considerable work in the paddock 
another should go with him to hold back the buck. One day it fell to 
the lot of the young son of Queenie’s devoted friend to do this work, and 
