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 of the goats.

Not contented with viewing them all as belonging to a single genus, they have divided them into five genera--though to most of the five they ascribe only _one species_!-- thus uselessly multiplying names, and rendering the study of the subject more complicated and difficult.
"There can be no doubt that the goats, both wild and tame--including the ibex, which is a true wild goat--form of themselves a separate family in the animal kingdom, easily distinguishable from sheep, deer, antelopes, or oxen.