Goat is a hardy, horned animal, closely related to the sheep. The various domestic goats are thought to be descended from wild goat of Persia. Goats are favorites with the inhabitants of rocky, precipitous countries. The agile, sprightly, playful goat can make a living on scanty shrubs and coarse grasses where a sheep would not fare well. Goat's milk is considered healthful and nutritious. In many oriental cities the milkman drives his herd along the street and milks his goats at the customer's door. The flesh is valuable for food. The hair is spun and woven into clothing, and the hide makes famous leather. The male or he-goat is known colloquially as a "billy goat." His horns and beard give him quite a reverend appearance. The female is known as a "nanny goat," and the young, usually two in number, are called kids.
The Cashmere goat of northern India and the Angora goat are famous for their long, silky hair. Mohair is an Arabic term applied to the hair of the Angora goat as well as to a kind of fine cloth made of goat's hair. Wool and cotton dress goods made in imitation of the genuine article are often called mohair. The term is closely akin to moire, a French name of watered silk.
On account of their brush-eating propensities, goats are especially valuable in clearing up wild land, but, generally speaking, they are less profitable than sheep and are not raised extensively in America. The goat is an animal of endurance.
