THE EUROPEAN BISON 73 



truly wild animal is now confined to the rugged 

 district of the Caucasus ; a herd under the protection 

 of the Russian Government is maintained in the 

 famous forest of Bialowicsa, in Lithuania. As far as 

 can now be ascertained, the animal appears to have 

 always associated in small bands rather than in 

 herds ; this would consort better with its woodland 

 habitat, whereas the vast prairies once covered by 

 its American cousin gave ample scope for the 

 massing together of thousands of individuals. In 

 summer the European bison frequents low-lying 

 thickets in swampy situations, where it can bathe 

 and wallow; in winter it inhabits the densest portions 

 of the elevated pine woods, climbing readily about 

 the mountain sides. 1 At dawn the bison descend 

 to drink at the forest springs, and then begin to feed 

 slowly up hill ; in spite of their great weight they 

 gallop well, carrying their heads close to the ground 

 like antelope ; they are also good swimmers. The 

 voice of the European bison is a deep, short grunt. 

 Young animals resemble the calves of the American 

 species ; they are born at all seasons, and generally 

 do well even in cold weather. 



M. Dolmatoff has vividly described how on 

 July 2Oth, 1846, he and his party came upon a troop 

 of bison in the forest of Bialowisca. The weather 

 was magnificent, the sky calm, not a breath of wind ; 



1. Prince Demidoff records bison tracks in the snow at 8,000 feet; 

 Radde met them at 7,600 feet. 



