THE FOSSIL BISON OF KANSAS. 



By C. E. McClung, University of Kansas, Lawrence. 

 Read before the Academy, at Topeka, December 30, 1904. 



npHE heavy floods of the spring of 1903 excavated in the valley of 

 -*- the Kaw river numerous washouts of considerable size and ex- 

 tent. In one of these near North Lawrence several bison crania were 

 exposed. So far as I am aware, these all belong to the common species, 

 Bison bison, with the exception of one, which was secured by Mr. 

 C. H. Sternberg, and sold to the University. This specimen difiPers 

 from the remainder also in being completely fossilized. Unfortu- 

 nately only a portion of the cranium is preserved, but sufficient remains 

 to indicate the main structural cliaracters, and these are such as to 

 point to the existence of a new species of bison. Since Kansas was 

 the home of the bison in such a large measure, it seems eminently 

 fitting that the name of the two should be associated together, and I 

 have accordingly called the new form Bison kansensis. 



Bison remains are often found throughout the state, and, in order 

 to make the determination of these possible by those who have not 

 access to the literature, I append a key to the species so far described. 

 It is based upon the work of Allen and of Lucas, and specific charac- 

 ters are given in relation to the horn cores. Doubtless there are valid 

 objections to making one character the basis of specific determinations, 

 but since this portion of the animal is the one with which we have 

 oftenest to deal, necessity and common sense make the classification 

 the most useful and effective. Since there is frequently confusion of 

 the two genera, Bison and Bos, the generic characters of the former 

 are given : 



Genus Bison Smith. Forehead convex, with vertical and lateral diameters 

 in the ratio of 2:3; horns attached some distance in front of occipital angle; 

 outline of occipital region semicircular and forming an obtuse angle with fore 

 head; intermaxillaries short, triangular, acute behind, and not reaching to the 

 nasals; orbital, lachrymal and malar processes forming a projecting cylinder for 

 the eyes; ribs in fourteen pairs. Limbs slenderer than in Bos, and dorsal 

 spines much longer; cannon bones longer in the hind limbs than in fore limbs. 

 Body covered with short, crisp, woolly hair, becoming long and bushy upon the 

 head. The fore legs are fringed with long, coarse hair. 



The species of bison may be classified according to the following 

 key, in which the characters of the horn cores are used for differen- 

 tiation, according to Lucas. 

 {A) Horn cores placed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of 



skull antiquus. 



(157) 



