6. T h e A b y s s in ia n I b ex— C a p r a v a l i
Capra walie, Ruppell, Neue Wirbelthiere Abyssin.—Saugeth. vol, i. p. 16,
pi. vi. (1835) ; P. L. Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1886, p. 316.
Capra valie, Sundevall, K . Svenska Vet. Akad. Handl. for 1844, p. 95
(1846) ; Gray, Knowsley Menagerie, p.|^2 (1850), Cat. XJngulata Brit.
Mus. p. 152 (1852).
Capra wall, Richters, Big Game Shooting (Badminton Library), vol. ii,
p. 325 (1894).
Characterr.-^-Distinguished from the other species of ibex by the presence
of a bony prominence on the forehead ; the horns being of the general
type of those of C. sibirica, but the beard small and rudimentary, as in the
Alpine species.
Dr. Richters, p§ ;the Frankfort Museum, as quoted by Col. Percy
in the volumes of the Badminton~Library on big game shooting, writes; as
follows pf this ibexB pfj* The horns of Capra w ali differ from thos^Sof C.
sibirica in the following points; the outer surface in w a it-is curved,
while in sibirica it is corrugated ; the under side in wait being sharper
than in sibirica. The inner side in wali has. between every two knobs
(on the top of the horn) five Or six grooves, which correspond with
a similar number of notches of equal depth on the under side. C.
sibirica, on the other hand, has a fairly smooth inner surface; and on
the under side has under every two knobs (on the top of the horn)
a deep notch, and between every two deep notches a shallower one.
The tip of sibirica is. - more curved than that of wali. The horn of
our specimen of wali has eight knobs on it, that of sibirica (horns 36^
inches in length, girth;|@r base 9^ inches, cord from base to tip 22
inches) 17 knobs.”
This species, which is represented only by specimens preserved in the
Senckenberg Museum at Frankfort, is known to me solely from Riippell’s
description and figure and the above notes.
Distribution^The high mountain ranges of Abyssinia.
T h e A l p in e I b e x— C a p r a ib e x
Capra ibex, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. i. p. 95 (1766) ; Desmarest,
Mammaldgie, vol. ii. p. 480 (18 .2 2^ H. Smith, in Griffith’s Animal
Kingdom, vol. iv. p. 300, v, p. 357 (1827) ; Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus.
p. 167 (1843), Knoniosky Menageries?. 32 (1850), Cat. Ungulata Brit. Mus.
p. 142 ( i8 |^ | Cat. Ruminants Brit. Mus. p. 52 (18.72); Blasius, Saugeth.
Deutschlands, p. 475 ( 18 5 7 « p - L . Sclater, PrM Zaoh Soc. 1886, p. 3 15 ;
Reichenau, N . Ja h rb . Min. 1896, vol. i. p. 221 ; Ward, Records o f Big
Game, p. 2 2 $ ^ 1896)^- •
Capra alpina, Girtahner, Journ. Physique, vol. xxviii. p. 224 (1786).
A'.go'ceros ibex, Pallas, Zoogr. RoS^Asiat. vol. i. p. 224 ( 18 11 ) , in part.
Ibex alpims, Gray, List Osteal. Brit. Mus. p. 59 (1847) ; Nehring,
Tundren und Steppen, p. 206 (1890).
Ibex europaa, Hodgson, Journ. As. Sac. Bengal, vol. xvi. p. 700 (1847).
Character^Sgfiize and build generally similar to that of the Arabian
ibex, the height at the shoulder reaching to about 40 inches. Ears
relatively small; beard B males, which is confined to the chins short and
small. Iporns of male long, scimitar-shaped, sweeping backwards in the
usual curve ; their front surface wide, with a slight bevelling of the outer
angle, the transverse knots more or less, strongly developed, but usually
thinner than in the next species, with their outer portion sloping away
towards the margin of the front surface of the horn. Horns of females
small and upright, the usual length being from 6 to 8 inches. Pelage
coarse and thick, but varying according to the season ; in summer shorter,
finer, and more shining ; in winter longer, rougher, and duller, with a