THE URUS, AUROCHS, OR EUROPEAN BISON. 



THIS animal greatly resembles the American Bison, or, 

 as it is commonly called, the Buffalo. It is chiefly to be 

 met with in the extensive plains and forests of Lithuania, 

 where it grows to an amazing size and bulk, being in these 

 respects superior to every other quadruped except the ele- 

 phant. It is entirely black, except a single stripe of white 

 which runs along the whole length of the back ; its eyes 

 are red and fiery ; its horns thick and short : its forehead 

 ornamented with a bushy covering of thick curled hair ; its 

 neck is short and strong ; and its skin exhales on odor 

 somewhat resembling musk. The female, although much 

 smaller than the male, exceeds in size the largest bulls pro- 

 duced in this country. The Urus is. perhaps, more properly 

 called the "Wild Bull," than the "Bison." The following 

 is an account of the Bison of Asia and Africa. This ani- 

 mal differs from some of the Ox kind, principally in having 

 a large hump between its shoulders, resembling the boss of 

 the camel, only with this difference, that it is placed more 

 forward. The Bison is furnished with a long shaggy mane, 

 which forms a beard under his chin. His head is small, 

 and his forehead wide ; his eyes fierce and red, and his 

 horns much expanded. He is exceedingly wild and fierce,, 

 and the pursuit of him is very dangerous, except in forests 

 where the trees are sufficiently large to shelter the hunters. 

 The general method of capturing this animal is by digging 



