250 THE 



in herds, except a few of the older ones, which wan- 

 der about singly. Though they have never been 

 tamed, they are not so shy but that they may be ap- 

 proached within a moderate distance, when care is 

 taken to advance towards them from the windward 

 side. Each herd keeps constantly to the same district 

 of forest, near to some river or stream, so that each of 

 the twelve foresters, who have charge of the wood, 

 knows the herds that belong to his district. The 

 number of oxen in every herd is ascertained in the 

 beginning of winter, by observing their feet-tracks 

 on the new fallen snow, as they pass between the 

 wood and the store of hay, which forms their winter 

 provender. The whole number, as thus estimated, 

 is at present about 71 1, of which 48 are calves of last 

 year. The cows scarcely bring forth above once in 

 three years : the calves are produced in May, and 

 are suckled nearly a whole year. They continue to 

 grow for six years, and may live till forty. The 

 Urus feeds on various grasses, and on the leaves and 

 bark of young trees and brushwood, especially the 

 willow, poplar, ash, and birch. In autumn they also 

 browse on heath, and the lichens which cover the 

 bark of trees. The rutting season commences in 

 August, and lasts a fortnight ; about which time they 

 are fat and sleek, and unusually sportive. Their 

 most common sport consists in thrusting their horns 

 into the ground, near a young tree, and ploughing 

 round it till they root it up. It is from this circum- 

 stance, in the author's opinion, that the horns are al- 



