the knees, and a band above each hoof, white or whitish ; horns
blackish.
The most distinctive features of this species are the length and narrow
front surface of the horns, and the long beard. In the former respect the
animal stands in some degree intermediate between the wild goat and the
Asiatic ibex, being broadly distinguished from the European ibex by the
much greater length of the beard.
Mr. Rowland Ward records the following dimensions of hornsf||f this
goat
Length along
Outer Curve.
Basal
Circumference.
Tip to Tip. Locality.
5 ° 9
? N o r th A fric a -
4 6 J 8 ? S o u th A rab ia
4 2i 9 ï N o r th -W e s t o f Suakin-
4 i f 7 l H i - N o r th Africa
3 8 £ 7 i 12i U p p e r E g y p t
WÊÈ Y 'H . 2 7 i Suakin
1 8 21 „
' 35-! 7 ' u t Sinaitic P en in su la
3 S i ? i 12 * N o r th -W e s t o f Suakin
3 i | 6i i 3 i Sinaitic P en in su la
, '31! Y® : i 3 i A rab ia
2 0 J 5 ü Sinaitic P en in su la
This and the three following species may properly be recognised as
ibex, although that name is often also applied to the Spanish tur. They
are all characterised by the scimitar-shaped horns, of which the front
surface is more or less broad and carries a series of knot-like widely-
separated transverse ridges. In the relative narrowness: of this front surface
the present species approximates, however, to the wild goat; and all the
members of the genus are so closely connected that, as already mentioned,
it appears impossible to divide them into sub-generic groups distinguished
by well-marked and sharply-defined characters.
Distribution.— The mountains of Southern Arabia, Palestine, the Sinaitic
Peninsula, Upper Egypt, and thence apparently into those of Morocco
and the interior of Senegambia. The type specimen is a pa ir'^f horns
preserved in the Museum at Paris. In the same collection are two other
pairs stated to have been obtained from Senegal. With regard to these
latter, Mens. Pousargues considers that we should await further evidence
before definitely adding North-Western Africa to the distributional area
of the species. Additljnal evidence in favour of such western extension is
afforded by a small but characteristic pair of horns in the possession of Dr.
Guillemard, which was obtained by himR>me years ago at Tangier, where
it was stated by the former owner to have come from the Atlas. It was
scarcely likely to have been exported from Egypt to Tangier ; and, taken
together with the PariSspecimens, seems to indicate that the species is
really an inhabitant of the little known mountainous districts of the interior
of North-Western Africa.
Habits.—The general mode of life of the Arabian ibex is probably very
similar to that of the European and Asiatic species. In Arabia Petrcea the
animal n stated by Canon Tristram to be very common, while even in
Palestine it is less rare than is often Spposed. Like other ibex, they are very
shy and wary, keeping to the upper regions o f the mountains,- where their
colour renders them very difficult to distinguish from the rocks among which
they dwell. An observer, quoted by Canon Tristram, states that the kids,
before they are able to accompany the old ones, are concealed by the mother
under some rock, and apparently are only visited at night. He once
caught a young one which ran from under a rock as he was climbing a
mountain. The little creature had evidently heard the intruder approaching,
and ran out -under the impression that he was its mother.