We have not many goats in America, but you will sometimes see them
about the houses of poor people who live on the out-skirts of large
towns and villages. They abound in many foreign countries, chiefly
those which are wild, and have high hills and mountains. These, let
them be ever so high, the goat climbs very nimbly and safely. The goat
is a very useful creature. Its young are called kids, and its flesh is
very good to eat; out of its skin we make good leather for shoes and
gloves. The goat's milk is pleasant to drink, and to make cheese from.
It eats herbs and delights to nibble the bark of trees. You will
often read in the Bible, that goats in ancient times were offered as
sacrifices. In Switzerland they have a kind of wild goat, called the
chamois. The cut below represents some Swiss hunters pursuing the
chamois over rocks and mountains.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: HYENA.]