THE URUS. 55 



deep pits, and covering them with grass, on the opposite 

 side of which some of the hunters place themselves, and 

 tempting the enraged creature to pursue them, it falls into 

 the snare, and is soon overpowered. 



The Bison is met with in most of the southern parts of 

 the world, while the Urus is chiefly found in the cold or 

 temperate regions. The Bison varies in size, with the va- 

 riations of the soil and climate ; where the soil is fertile, 

 and the pasturage luxuriant, they are very large, but in 

 Arabia Petra3 and some parts of Africa they are small, and 

 from their diminished size, and other distinguishing char- 

 acteristics, they acquire the denomination of Zebu. The 

 Zebu appears to be a degenerate kind of the Bison, dimin- 

 ished in size on account of the scantiness of its food, a cir- 

 cumstance which appears to have a decided effect on the 

 hulk of all horned cattle. Both of these animals are gentle 

 when tamed ; and they have generally very fine glossy 

 hair. The hunches on their backs vary in weight from 

 twenty to fifty pounds. In India they are substituted for 

 horses in travelling and drawing loads. They are saddled 

 like horses, and may be made to move at a very fair pace. 

 A small string is drawn through the cartilage of the nose, 

 and a cord being fastened to this, it answers the purpose 

 of a bridle. They will perform journeys of above a thou- 

 sand miles, at the rate of thirty-six or forty miles a day, and 

 their pace is generally a moderate trot. They are used also 

 in drawing chariots. This circumstance of horned cattle 

 being used in India for riding, as well as for drawing, is an 

 additional proof of their extensive and various utility, and 

 it proves that if the exuberant goodness of the Creator had 

 not bestowed the horse, the ox might have served as an 

 useful substitute. 



