108 THE BUFFALO. 



plains, his red eyes glowing like coals of fire from amid the 

 mass of dark brown or black hair which hangs over his head 

 and neck and the whole fore part of his body. A beard 

 descends from the lower jaw to the knee ; another huge 

 bunch of matted hair rises from the top of his head, almost 

 concealing his thick, short, pointed horns standing wide apart 

 from each other. As he turns round we shall see that a large 

 oblong hump rises on his back, diminishing in height towards 

 the tail : that member is short, with a tuft of hair at the tip. 

 The hinder part of the body is clothed with hair of more 

 moderate length, especially in summer, when it Ijecomes fine 

 and smooth, and soft as velvet. From his awkward, heavy 

 appearance, when seen at a distance, it would not be supposed 

 that he is extremely active, capable of moving at a rapid rate, 

 and of continuino- his headlono- career for an immense distance. 

 So sure of foot is he, also, that he Avill pass over ground where 

 no horse could follow, his limbs being in reality slender, and 

 his body far more finely proportioned than would be supposed 

 till it is seen stripped of its thick coating of hair. While 

 his thick coat protects him from the cold, he is also provided 

 with a broad, strong, and tough nose, with which he can 

 shovel away the snow and lay Vjare the grass on which he feeds. 

 Sometimes, however, when a slight thaw has occurred, and a 

 thin cake of ice has been formed over the snow, his nose gets 

 sadly cut, and is often seen bleeding from the effects of his 

 labours. It is said that when a herd comes near the settle- 

 ments, the domesticated calves, and even the horses, will follow 

 the buffalo tracks, and gi^aze on the herbage which they have 

 disclosed and left unconsumed. 



The flesh of the buffalo, especially that of the cow, is juicy, 

 and tender in the extreme. The most esteemed portion is 



