The Gaur, or Indian Bison 



and more frequently in small parties of from five to 

 ten. In the Western Ghats, and doubtless in other 

 districts, they are generally to be found on the open 

 grass-tracts for some hours after the early morning 

 feed, but as the sun increases in power they one by 

 one rise to their feet and seek shelter in the surround- 

 ing forest. When driving is resorted to, the beaters 

 should not be allowed to commence their work till the 

 herd has in this manner betaken itself to covert, as if 

 it is attempted while the animals are in the open, 

 failure will most certainly ensue ; and it is important 

 to ascertain that no stragglers have been left lying 

 down in the open. The alternative to beating is by 

 following up the animals with the aid of native trackers, 

 ■such as the Bhils and Gonds, 



Although the finest bulls are solitary, a certain 

 number of this sex keep with the herds. In writing 

 of the herds, Mr. Sanderson says that their members 

 '" are shy and retiring in their habits, and retreat at once 

 if intruded upon by man. They avoid the vicinity of 

 his dwellings, and never visit the patches of cultivation 

 in the jungle, as do wild elephants, deer, and wild 

 hog. . . . The food of the gaur,^ as of the wild 

 elephant, consists chiefly of grasses, and only in a 

 secondary degree of bamboo leaves and twigs, the 

 thick and succulent tuberous shoots of the bamboo 

 which appear during the rains, and of the bark of some 

 trees. . . . Gaur feed till about nine in the morning, 

 or later in cloudy and rainy weather ; they then rest, 

 lying down in bamboo-covert or light forest till the 

 afternoon, when they rise to graze and drink ; they 

 also invariably lie down for some hours during the 

 night. Although certainly quick in detecting an 

 •intruder, gaur can scarcely be considered naturally 

 wary animals, as they seldom encounter alarms. Un- 

 sophisticated herds will frequently allow several shots 

 to be fired at them before making off, and even then 



1 In these extracts "Gaur" is substituted for " Bison." 



59 



