

RUMINANTIA CAVICORNIA BOS AMERICANUS. 



683 



along the upper side of the nostrils, which are thus entirely naked, even within the cavity ; the 

 under side of the nostrils is, however, densely hairy. In the deer the naked skin does not 

 extend so far along the nostril. 



Fig. 34. Bos americanus. End of muzzle from above and in front. 

 Fig. 35. Under surface of left front hoof of the same. 



The line of hair on the end of the muzzle forms a gentle curve, convex anteriorly. There is 

 no indication of a larmier. 



The hoofs are broad and short, their basal outline a broad ellipse, the sides much rounded ; 

 their posterior outline, as viewed from the side, is generally considerably longer than the 

 superior. 



The tail is rather short ; in summer it is very slender at the base, with very short hairs, and 

 appearing almost naked ; at the tip, however, is a tuft of very long hairs, nearly or quite as 

 long as the vertebral portion. 



The horns are very thick at the base, but short, and tapering rapidly to a sharp pointed tip ; 

 their axes at first are nearly in the plane of the forehead, they, however, almost immediately, 

 slope slightly upwards until, at half their length, they bend abruptly upwards, at nearly a 

 right angle ; the axis of the terminal pointed portion is curved a little backwards, rendering 

 the anterior outline of the horn somewhat convex. 



In the old male the entire head is thickly covered with a dense growth of long shaggy hair, 

 which constitutes on the lower surface of the chin a long pointed beard. These hairs, on the 

 side of the neck behind the horns, measure as much as eighteen inches, those of the beard about 

 nine. The shoulders and fore legs as far as the knees are also covered with similar shaggy 

 hair. The anterior half of the back and sides is covered with a shaggy coat of woolly hair ; 

 the hairs on the posterior portion abruptly much shorter ; in summer specimens the hinder part 

 of the body and the hind legs appear almost naked. 



The hoofs, muffle and horns of the buffalo are entirely black. The hair, too, is generally of 

 a sooty black, except the middle of the back, which is of a brownish color. 



In the skin of a young calf the color is throughout of a chestnut brown, with large patches 

 of white on the belly. This is probably an unusual color, as it was considered " medicine" by 

 the Indians. 



For further details as to size, weight, and other points connected with the American buf 

 falo, I must refer to the article of Audubon and Bachman. 



The buffalo of America is very closely related to the European bison, (Bos urus,} the Auerochs 

 of the Germans, and the Bonassus of the ancients. I am unable to state satisfactorily in what 



