on the inside, and on the outside terminated by a salient border, like those of the Chamois. The body short, thick, and strong. The tail short, naked underneath, the rest covered with long hairs, white at the base and sides, black above and at the end. Space under the tail, in some tawny, in others white. The coat long, but not pendent, ash coloured, mixed with some hoary hairs; a black list runs along the back; and there is a black spot above and below the knees. Its colour, however, like that of other animals, must necessarily vary according to its age, and to local circumstances. "The female has been little noticed among naturalists. She is one-third less than the male, and not so corpulent: her colour is less tawny her horns are very small, and not above eight inches long. In these and in her figure, she resembles a goat, that has been castrated while young. She has two teats, like the tame she-goat, and never has any beard, unless, perhaps, in an advanced age. "The young ones are of a dirty grey colour, and the list along the back is scarcely discernible. "There is a stuffed specimen of the male Bouquetin of the Alps in Mr. Parkinson's, late Sir Ashton Lever's, Museum. "In a state of tranquillity, the Bouquetin commonly carries the head low; but in running it holds it high, and even bends it a little forward. He mounts a perpendicular rock of fifteen feet at three leaps, or rather three successive leaps, or three successive bounds of five feet each. It does not seem as if he found any footing on the rock, appearing to touch it merely to be repelled, like an elastic substance striking against a hard body. He is not supposed to take more than three successive leaps in this manner. If he is between two rocks which are near each other, and wants to reach the top, he leaps from the side of one rock to the other, alternately, till the has attained the summit. He also traverses the glaciers with rapidity; but only when he is pursued; for otherwise he avoids them. The Bouquetins feed, during the night, in the highest woods: but the sun no sooner begins to gild the summits, than they quit the woody region, and mount, feeding in their progress, 'till they have reached the most considerable heights. They betake themselves to the sides of the mountains which face the east or south, and lie down in the highest places and hottest exposures; but when the sun has finished more than three quarters of its course, they again begin to feed, and to descend towards the woods; whither they retire when it is likely to snow, and where they always pass the winter. The Bouquetins assemble in flocks, consisting at most of ten, twelve, or fifteen; but more usually in smaller numbers. The males which are six years old and upwards, haunt more elevated places than the females and the younger Bouquetins; and as they advance in age they are less fond of society; they become gradually hardened against the effects of extreme cold, and frequently live entirely alone. "In Summer they feed principally on the genipi, and other aromatic plants which grow in the high Alps; and in winter they eat the lichens, and brouse on bushes and the tender shoots of trees. They prefer those spots where the dwarf birch, and alpine willows grow, and where rhododendron, thalictrum, and saxifrages abound. "The Bouquetins, having their fore legs somewhat shorter than the hind legs, naturally ascend with greater facility than they descend; for this reason nothing but the severest weather can engage them to come down into the lower regions; and even in winter, if there are a few fine days, they leave the woods and mount higher. "Winter is the season of love with them, and principally the month of January. The females go with young five months, and consequently produce in the last week of June, or the first of July. At the time of parturition they separate from the males, retire to the side of some rill, and generally bring forth only one young, though some naturalists affirm that they occasionally produce two. "The common cry of the Bouquetin is a short sharp whistle, not unlike that of the Chamois, but of less continuance; sometimes it makes a snort, and when young bleats. 666 The season for hunting the Bouquetin is towards the end of Summer, and in Autumn, during the months of August and September, when they are usually in good condition. None but the inhabitants of the mountains engage in the chase; for it requires, not only a head that can bear to look down from the greatest heights without terror, address and sure footedness in the most difficult and dangerous passes, and to be an excellent marksman, but also much strength and vigour, to support hunger, cold, and prodigious fatigue. The female shews much attachment to her young, and even defends it against eagles, wolves, and other enemies; she takes refuge in some cavern, and presenting her head at the entrance of the hole, thus opposes the enemy. 666 It is not improbable that the Hircus Ferus, or Bouc-estain of Belon, the Bouquetin of the Alps, the Siberian Ibex, and the ÆgaPallas, and the tame grus, both so accurately described by Goat in all its different forms, are only varieties of the same species. Perhaps also the Capra Caucasica, described by Pallas, from the papers of Guldenstaedt, and which he represents as differing from the Egagrus, with which it has been confounded by some naturalists. See Act. Petr. for 1799. "The horns of the Bouquetin, as has been before observed, are sometimes found to weigh sixteen or eighteen pounds, to be three feet in length, and to have twenty-four transverse ridges, "Buffon extends the goat genus still further, and comprehends under it even the Chamois, conjecturing that the Bouquetia is the male in the original race of Goats, and the Chamois the female. The French naturalist having, at the time when he described the Bouquetin, never seen it in a full-grown state, was probably induced to entertain this opinion from a faint resemblance between the female But there does not seem the least Bouquetin and the Chamois. foundation for this notion, the Chamois being an animal totally distinct from the Goat, never coupling with them, and judiciously placed by Pallas and Pennant in the genus of Antelopes. His conjecture, however, that the Bouquetin is the original source of all the tame Goats, seems to be well founded; and has been adopted by the greatest part of succeeding naturalists. And as, according to the just observations of Pallas, the Ægragus approaches nearer than the Bouquetin to the tame Goat in its form and horns, the Ægragus may be the link which unites the Bouquetin and the tame Goat. "If these observations should be well founded, the Goat genus, or race of the Bouquetin, is found in a wild state along the chain of mountains that traverses the temperate parts both of Europe and Asia; on the Pyrennees, and Carpathian mountains; on the Taurus and Caucasus; on the mountains of Siberia and Tartary; in Kamtschatka; on the islands of the Archipelago; in Hedjeas in Arabia ; in India; perhaps in Egypt and Lybia.' "The reader will gather from these accounts, that the RockGoat feeds on plants sufficiently distinct from the nature of corn; insomuch, that corn can never be considered as the food allotted by Providence for the support of its young. Also, that the time of its gestation is known-being five months. "But direct proof is still wanting of the affectionate constancy of the female Ibex, which, it has been supposed, might be the reference intended in Prov. v. 19. However, the general nature and habits of both sexes of this Rock-Goat are undoubtedly so similar, that the circumstantial evidence to this effect is little short of positive testimony. "Moreover, it may be remarked, that PENNANT informs us that the females at the time of parturition separate from the males, and retire to the side of some rill, to bring forth.' This looks as if the females usually kept company with the males; and where the creature is scarce, it is probable they associate in pairs, Neither is this probability diminished by observing that the female Ibex has usually one kid, very rarely two. This, if admissible, sets aside the objection of MICHAELIS, who says (Fuest. No. LXXXI. p. 152.), The only passage, where Ioleh may appear not to agree with the Ibex, is Prov. v. 19. This difficulty may be removed if it be possible, or customary, among the Orientals, to consider the female Ibex as an emblem of a beautiful woman: but I cannot conceive how an animal so uncomely can in any language, be adopted as an image of the fair sex.' "There is another species of Ibex, the horns of which are smooth, not having those knots which mark the Alpine kind. It inhabits the mountains of Caucasus and Taurus, all Asia Minor, and perhaps the mountains of India. It abounds on the inhospitable hills of Laar and Khorasan in Persia. It is an animal of vast agility. Monardus saw one leap from a high tower, and fall on its horns; then springing on its legs, leap about, without having received the least hurt. PENNANT, from whom the above is taken, thinks this creature may be the origin of the tame goat. Perhaps the tame goat may be derived from both; as it appears certain that the offspring of the Ibex and the female is fruitful. The female of this kind is either destitute of horns, or has short ones. "The figure on our plate, is that of a full grown Male Ibex, from RIDINGER. Mr. Cox says, 'this is the best representation of the Bouquetin of the Alps which has fallen under my observation.' He adds his testimony to the general correctness of RIDINGER'S animals; in which we cordially agree with him. "The horns above are from ROZIER's Journal, where they are given by DR. GIRTANNER; but as Mr. Cox has compared the sizes of several horns, we insert his remarks. "The horns being so remarkable a part of this animal, I shall here add the measurement, not only of those belonging to Mr. Parkinson, but of several pairs which are deposited in the British Museum. 666 Dimensions of the horns in Mr. Parkinson's, late Sir Ashton Lever's, Museum, (No. 1.) and in the British Museum. "It is a common notion among hunters, adopted by many naturalists, that the age of a Bouquetin may be estimated by the number of transverse ridges, or knobs, in the horns. M. van Berchem, however, assures me, from his own observations, that this is a vulgar error; and that its age can only be ascertained by the number and form of the teeth, as in sheep and goats. This mistake has also occasioned its term of life to be supposed much longer than it really is. This animal increases in bulk to the age of four years, according, therefore, to the system of the Count de Buffon, that the age is about seven times the growth; its life is twenty-eight or thirty years. "Some naturalists are of opinion, that the diminution of the race of Bouquetins in the Alps is owing to his size, the monstrous length and weight of the horns, which impede him in his course; because, he is driven into places where he can scarcely procure sufficient nourishment, during great part of the year, where his sight becomes debilitated, and is frequently lost by the strong reflection of the sun from the ice and snow. They consider this animal rather as a native of the sub-Alpine regions, which are covered during summer with the finest herbage, and where the Bouquetins and Chamois probably pastured in tranquillity, when only the lower valleys and plains were inhabited. "On the contrary, it is maintained by others, that the Bouquetin is endued with strength proportionate to its size; and though he is inferior to the Chamois in liveliness and agility, yet he is by no means deficient in activity; that his horns, though large and weighty, yet, from their reclined position, do not seem to be an impediment, but rather render him essential service when he happens to fall, or purposely throws himself down precipices to avoid his pur suers. They add, also, that his natural food is rather lichens than herbs; that he is particularly fond of the young shoots of trees and shrubs and that, in all places where he inhabits, he is found in the coldest and rudest mountains, and on the steepest rocks. From these circumstances, it is not improbable, that his present situation and manner of life is an effect of nature rather than of necessity. Besides, why do the Chamois, who are more hunted than the Bouquetin, still inhabit the less elevated regions? And why are they not driven into the glaciers?' "As the Ibex has been confounded with the Roebuck by some, and with the Chamois by others, including even BUFFON, it may be useful to add the distinctions between the two latter animals, as given by Dr. GIRTANNER. 1. By size: the Ibex being much larger. 2. By the horns: the longest horns of the Chamois are only nine inches: those of the Ibex are three feet. The horns of the Ibex incline backward, over the hinder parts of the animal; those of the Chamois, contrary to the horns of most animals, stand forward, are 'inclined outward, and bend backward into a hook, at their extremities. The horns of the Chamois are round: those of the Ibex are grooved. 3. The female of the Chamois has four teats; the female Ibex has only two.. 4. The Ibex taken young may be domesticated; which the Chamois cannot be. 5. The Ibex produces one young one; the Chamois has usually two. 6. The Ibex is bearded; the Chamois is not*." W. G. Sacred Geography. CANAAN, OR THE HOLY LAND.+ Topography of Jerusalem. THE city of Jerusalem is situated in 31° 50" north latitude, and 35° 20" east longitude; about 25 miles westward of Jordan, and 42 eastward of the Mediterranean Sea, 102 miles south of Damascus, 300 south of Aleppo, and 233 miles north-east of Grand Cairo. Some have zealously contended that this city stood in the centre of the world, this, however, is difficult to determine. Josephus assures us that it was situated in the very middle of Judæa, on which account it has been called the navel of the country.‡ * Fragments to Calmet's Dictionary, Vol. ii. Natural History, pp. 33-39. |