BUFFALO. 125 



the calves devolves almost entirely on the bulls. I 

 have seen evidences of this many times, but the most 

 remarkable instance I have ever heard of was related to 

 me by an army surgeon, who was an eye-witness. 



He was one evening returning to camp after a day's 

 hunt, when his attention was attracted by the curious 

 action of a little knot of six or eight buffalo. Approach- 

 ing sufficiently near to see clearly, he discovered that this 

 little knot were all bulls, standing in a close circle with 

 their heads outwards, while in a concentric circle at some 

 twelve or fifteen paces distance sat, licking their chaps in 

 impatient expectancy, at least a dozen large grey wolves 

 (excepting man, the most dangerous enemy of the 

 buffalo). 



The doctor determined to watch the performances. 

 After a few moments the knot broke up, and, still keep- 

 ing in a compact mass, started on a trot for the main 

 herd, some half a mile off. To his very great astonish- 

 ment, the doctor now saw that the central and controlling 

 figure of this mass was a poor little calf so newly born as 

 scarcely to be able to walk. After going fifty or a 

 hundred paces the calf laid down, the bulls disposed 

 themselves in a circle as before, and the wolves, who had 

 trotted along on each side of their retreating supper, sat 

 down and licked their chaps again ; and though the 

 doctor did not see the finale, it being late and the camp 

 distant, he had no doubt but that the noble fathers did 

 their whole duty by their offspring, and carried it safely 

 to the herd. 



When the calves are young they are kept always in 

 the centre of each small herd, while the bulls dispose 

 themselves on the outside. When feeding, the herd is 

 more or less scattered ; but on the approach of danger 

 it closes and rounds into a tolerably compact circular 

 mass. 



Although there is not a particle of danger in ap- 

 proaching such a herd, it requires in a novice an extra- 



