248 BISON- CAL VES. 



sore, frothy, and suppurates, and thus renders grazing difficult. The beast 

 is observed to limp and lick its feet, which are found to swarm with mag- 

 gots — the hoof having suppurated and become loose. Frequently the hoofs 

 drop off. It is generally severe for a month. It is much less fatal than 

 dod-rdga ; like that disease it is most destructive amongst young animals in 

 good condition. Perhaps twenty-five per cent of beasts attacked die. There 

 is no known remedy, but a collar of pieces of wood is occasionally put on to 

 prevent the beast licking its feet. Infected cattle are also kept standing 

 in puddles as a preventive against maggots. I have shot bison suffering 

 from this disease. 



Cheppay-rdga is confined to beasts under three years of age, especially 

 calves, and is invariably fatal. Beasts quite well one day will be found to 

 have a shoulder or hind-quarter swelled and puffy in the morning. The 

 affected part feels spongy to the touch, and the beast limps. The stomach 

 also swells. Death follows witliin six or eight hours. The flesh of the 

 dead animal looks black and inflamed. 



The bulk of cow-bison calve in September, a few in April and May. 

 The bison-calf when very young resembles the calf of the domestic cow, 

 the colour being a reddish brown, and the future white of the forehead 

 and legs showing but indistinctly as a leaden tinge. The cow-bison 

 separates from the herd when her calf is born, and keeps it in one place 

 for about four days, feeding near it till it is strong enough to accompany 

 the herd, which remains in the locality, and which she then rejoins with 

 her offspring. The habits of bison and elephants differ in this respect : the 

 female elephant does not separate from the herd ; the latter remains with 

 her for about two days after her calf is born. 



The bison utters three distinct sounds. The first is hardly like any 

 uttered by the Bovidce, and closely resembles a common sound made by 

 elephants. It is used by bison to call each other at a distance, and can 

 be heard for about a mile in favourable ground. It may be described as 

 a sonorous bellow. The second is a low " moo," indicative of apprehension 

 or curiosity. I heard this from several cow -bison once when they dis- 

 covered two Sh51agas and myself creeping on hands and knees towards 

 them in grass about three feet high ; they probably supposed us to be 

 tigers, as they stood their ground for half an hour, within forty yards, till 

 I got a chance at, and killed, the bull. The third sound is the loud whis- 

 tling snort of alarm with which they dash off when frightened. I have also 

 heard a bison, held by bull-dogs, roar like a common bull. 



The flesh of the bison is somewhat coarse, but is well flavoured. Steaks 

 cut from along the dorsal ridge behind the shoulders are the best. They 



