mate one, too--at an animal placed
full fifty yards beyond the carry of his gun!

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

GOATS AND SHEEP.

As the ibex kept its ground, without showing any signs of retreating, or
even moving a muscle of its body, they remained watching it. Not,
however, in silence: for as the animal was standing as if to have its
portrait painted, Karl, in words addressed to his two companions, but
chiefly intended for the instruction of Caspar, proceeded to execute
that very task.

"The ibex," said he, "is an animal whose name has been long famous, and
about which the closet naturalists have written a great deal of
nonsense--as they have about almost every other animal on the earth.
After all that has been said about it, it is simply a goat--a wild goat,
it is true, but still only a goat--having all the habits, and very much
of the appearance characteristic of the domestic animal of this name.

"Every one knows that the common goat exists in as many varieties as the
countries it inhabits. Indeed, there are more kinds of goats than
countries: for it is not uncommon to meet with three or four sorts
within the boundaries of a single kingdom--as in Great Britain itself.
These varieties differ almost as much from each other as the `breeds' of
dogs; and hence there has been much speculation among zoologists, as to
what species of wild goat they have all originally sprung from.

"Now, it is my opinion," continued the plant-hunter, "that the tame
goats found among different nations of the earth have not all descended
from the same stock; but are the progeny of more than one wild species--
just as the domesticated breeds of sheep have sprung from several
species of wild sheep; though many zoologists deny this very plain
fact."

"There are different species of wild goats, then?" said Caspar,
interrogatively.

"There are," replied the plant-hunter, "though they are not very
numerous--perhaps in all there may be about a dozen. As yet there are
not so many known to zoologists--that is, not a dozen that have been
identified and described as distinct species; but no doubt when the
central countries, both of Asia and Africa--with their grand chains of
mountains--have been explored by scientific naturalists, at least that
number will be found to exist.

"The speculating systematists--who decide about genera and species, by
some slight protuberance upon a tooth--have already created a wonderful
confusion in the family