78 The Ottawa Naturalist. [July 



pale tints of the surrounding pasture. We moved quietly to- 

 wards t.icin ; but they appeared unconscious of our presence 

 and with i.oses to the ground continued browsing. Not until 

 we were within 60 or 70 yards did they appear to be aware of 

 our presence. They all raised their heads together, turned and 

 stared at us curiously. The small calves, of which there were 

 several, kept at the further side of the cows, and ran hither and 

 thither as if afraid. The bulls stand very high at the shoulder, 

 the height being increased by the curly mane, which is golden 

 or tawny, glistening like silk. A height of 5 ft. 8 m. appears to 

 be a maximum measurement though the bushy mane adds 

 another 4 or 5 inches. A short ridge of stiff bushy hairs ex- 

 tends behind the shoulders along the middle line of the hack. 

 The mane shows a distinct line of demarcation passing diagon- 

 ally down from the back forward to the front legs. Behind this 

 line the body is of a rich sooty-brown with a silky sheen like 

 the coat of a well-groomed horse. In winter the hair becomes 

 long, thick, and matted, and gives the buffalo a very different 

 appearance. The tail is rather like that of a cow, or rather a 

 mule as it is short and has a very slight terminal brush. The 

 body slopes backward and diminishes very rapidly behind the 

 massive shoulders. It falls away very much as does the body 

 of a lion. Indeed, the appearance of the buffalo in many 

 respects is suggestive of the lion. When the animal turns round 

 the view from behind recalls the small and slender body of the 

 mule or ass, but bears little resemblance to that of the ox or of 

 the horse. A bushy conical beard of jet black hair hangs from 

 the under side of the head in the bull buffalo. The horns are 

 smooth and grey, not polished and black like those burnished 

 for ornament. They are very sharp, and are gracefully curved 

 upward and to the front. Between the horns, and above them, 

 the hair of the forehead is long and thick and stands erect like 

 plush or the pile of the richest black velvet. Later, in winter it 

 may become paler and brown, and matted or curly ; but seen as I 

 saw it, late in the summer, it did not appear woolly or curly, but 

 erect and thick, so that it was blown about by every breath of 



