268 FAUNA AMERICANA. 



Habit. Essentially herbivorous; the wild oxen 

 go in troops more or less numerous, accordins; to 

 the species, and frequent woods or plains, where 

 they can find nourishment; the males are more 

 or less brave, and capable of defending them- 

 selves against the attacks of wild animals, with 

 their horns. 



Inhabit warm and temperate climates ; eastern 

 Europe; the mountains of Thibet; India; the south- 

 ern extremity of Africa; the western territories of 

 the United States, are those places where they 

 exist in a savage state. The domestic cattle, of 

 which the primitive stock appears to be lost, have 

 been introduced into all civilized countries. 



Fossil remains prove that four species of this 

 genus formerly inhabited the old continent, and 

 two species the new continent, of which one of 

 the former appears proper to Siberia. 



Species. 



1. Bos americaniis, Gmel. 



Taurus mexicamis, Hernandez, Mex. p. 587. , 

 Tauri vaccceque quiuirce regionis, Fernand. Anim. 

 p. 10. The Buffalo, Catesby, Carol, p. 28. tab. 20. 

 Bosuf saiwage, Du Pratz, Louisian. t. 2. p. 66. 

 Bison, Buffon, suppl. t. 3. pi. .0. American Bull, 

 Penn. Quad. tab. 2. fig. 2. Buffalo, Shaw, Gen. 

 Zool. pi. 206. Bos bison, Erxleb. Linn. Bos urns, 

 var. Bodd. Bison, Warden, vol. v. p. 64.3. Long's 

 Expedition to the Rocky Mountains. 



