348 THE BISONS OF THE CAUCASUS. 



to the Cossacks of Kouban. The animals that straggle beyond these 

 limits are sure not to return, for they are pitilessly destroyed by 

 poachers, despite the severe penalties that such offenders incur. In 

 summer, and especially at night, the bison keep upon the Alpine pas- 

 tures of the high mountains; during the day they descend into the 

 deep, wooded valleys that are found along the water courses. They 

 may be seen in bands of from four to fifteen, especially around the 

 sulphurous springs that abound in that country. The mineral water 

 of these springs seems to attract them particularly, for they remain for 

 hours near them. Monsieur Hutner states that they avoid drinking 

 from the springs in order not to disturb the water, and that they 

 content themselves with licking the stones about the margins moist- 

 ened by the waters and covered with a mineral deposit. Not only 

 do the bisons refresh themselves in this manner, but deer are often 

 seen about the springs, neither species interfering with the other. 

 In the summer the deep valleys offer to the bison a refuge from the 

 rays of the sun as well as an abundance of food, for these animals 

 are very fond of the bark of certain forest trees, such as the Sorhus 

 acuparia and the elm {Ul'mus campestris) ^ as well as the young 

 shoots of ferns. But their principal nourishment is furnished by 

 the rich and succulent grasses of the alpine pastures, to which they 

 return at the approach of night. As to the dry forage which is 

 given to the bisons of Bielowitza during winter, it is disdained by 

 those of the Caucasus even during that season, in spite of the hunger 

 that oppresses them, but the^^ are very fond of the blocks of rock 

 salt placed here and there for them. 



The neighborhood of the Black Sea renders the northwestern part 

 of the Caucasus very humid, and the rains of spring and summer, 

 which are often like floods, favor the rapid growth of herbage on 

 which the bison regale themselves during the hot season. By this 

 means they grow strong and store up considerable quantities of fat, 

 which enables them to endure the rigorous months of these high 

 altitudes. Besides, the bison, being a northern animal, does not fear 

 the cold, against which he is fortified by his thick coat of hair, so 

 that he does not perish from either hunger or cold, but he suffers 

 from another scourge, the heavy snows that often attain a depth of 

 several meters and sometimes cannot support the heavy weight of 

 the bison and the animal sinks in, is unable to extricate himself, and 

 soon suffers a premature death. 



After the exceptionally heavy snows of 1904 and 1905 there were 

 discovered, in the spring, nine cadavers of bison that had sunk into the 

 snow without being able to reach with their feet either the firm 

 ground or a more compact layer of snow. Against this cause for the 

 diminution of the species no protective means can be devised. More 



