PREFACE. 



THE primary object of the present work, is to give as 

 correct and comprehensive a view of the animals composing 

 the Ox Tribe, as the present state of our knowledge will 

 admit, accompanied by authentic figures of all the known 

 species and the more remarkable varieties. 



Although this genus (comprising all those Ruminants 

 called Buffaloes, Bisons, and Oxen generally,) is as distinct 

 and well characterised as any other genus in the animal 

 kingdom, yet the facts which are at present known 

 respecting the various species which compose it, are not 

 sufficiently numerous to enable the naturalist to divide 

 them into sub-genera. This is abundantly proved by the 

 unsuccessful result of those attempts which have already 

 been made to arrange them into minor groups. Nor can 

 we wonder at this want of success, when we consider that 

 even many of the species usually regarded as distinct are 

 by no means clearly defined. 



The second object, therefore, of this treatise, is (by 

 bringing into juxta-position all the most important facts 

 concerning the various individual specimens which have 

 been described, and by adding several other facts of im- 



