. The naturalist's library : containing scientific and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects . uinal pores ; ears pointed ; legs robust; tail short jchin bearded. 368 MAMMALIA —IBEX. two sliglit differences, the one externally, and the other internally. Thehorns of the ibex are longer than those of the he-goat; they have two longi-tudinal ridges, those of the goat have but one. They have also thick knots,or transverse tubercles, which mark the number of years of their growth;while those of the goats are only marked with transverse strokes. Theibex runs as
. The naturalist's library : containing scientific and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects . uinal pores ; ears pointed ; legs robust; tail short jchin bearded. 368 MAMMALIA —IBEX. two sliglit differences, the one externally, and the other internally. Thehorns of the ibex are longer than those of the he-goat; they have two longi-tudinal ridges, those of the goat have but one. They have also thick knots,or transverse tubercles, which mark the number of years of their growth;while those of the goats are only marked with transverse strokes. Theibex runs as fast as the stag, and leaps lighter than the roebuck. They areliable to vertigos, which are common f. ihem with the chamois, as Avell asthe inclination to climb up rocks; ^.nd still another custom, which is thatof continually licking the stones, especially those which are strongly im-pregnated with salt-petre, or common salt. In the Alps, there are rockswhich have been hollowed by the tongue of the chamois. These are com-monly soft and calcinable stones, in which, as is well known, there isalways a certain quantity of ^m^A The male ibex differs from the chamois, by the length, the thickness, andthe form of the horns; it is also much more bulky, vigorous, and female ibex has horns different from the male; they are also muchsmaller, and nearly resembling those of the chamois. In other respects,these two animals have the same customs, the same manners, and the samecountry; only the ibex, as he is endowed Avith more agility, and is strongerthan the chamois, climbs to the summit of the highest mountains, whilethe chamois only lives in the second stage; but neither the one nor theother is to be found in the plains. Both make their way on the snow; bothascend precipices by bounding from rock to rock; both are covered with afirm and a solid skin, and clothed, in winter, with a double fur, Avith veryrough hair outwardly, and a finer and thicker hair underneath. Bot
Size: 1658px × 1507px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthordwightjonathan185, bookcentury1800, booksubjectzoology
