A History of Agriculture in India v1.c16.18

v1.c16.18

Goat (*Capra hircus*). The wild ancestors of domesticated breeds of goat are known to a large extent. The wild goat (*Capra hircus*) is found in the barren hills of Baluchistan and western Sind (Fig. 56). It is the chief ancestral stock from which the various breeds of domestic goats have been derived. In the north-east of Quetta, it is replaced by markhor (*Capra falconeri*) and is found in Turkestan, Afghanistan, Baluchistan and Kashmir (Fig. 60). The Circassian goat is said to be the descendant of the markhor. By far the most important is the bezoar goat (*Capra hircus aegagrus*), which ranges from Sind in the east through Iran and Asia Minor to Crete and the Cyclades in the west. In many parts of this area, it has disappeared.