MAMMALS. G-41 



uniting in their southerly migrations form the immense bands which for- 

 merly were such an element in western scenery in July and August. As 

 they moved onward in their immense numbers, they followed beaten paths, 

 swerving neither to the right nor the left for any ordinary obstacle, climb- 

 ing hills, and swimming rivers until the spot chosen for the winter was 

 reached. Here they scattered and remained until spring, when they made 

 their way north in smaller parties. On these migrations they were followed 

 by bands of Indians and multitudes of wolves and coyotes, the latter on 

 the constant watch for any weak or disabled one unable to keep up with 

 the herd. These they followed and worried until they were thoroughly 

 exhausted, and then the ravenous horde made quick work with the 

 unfortunate. A noticeable feature in the buffalo is its fondness for water. 

 It enjoys wallowing in a stream or pond ; but if these are absent, the herd 

 will take any depression in the ground and roll about in it until they make 

 quite a good-sized hollow, the bottom of which is hard-packed earth. The 

 rain collects in these buffalo wallows, and the herd enjoy their mud-bath 

 immensely. By continued use these wallows become sometimes very large, 

 and form a conspicuous feature in the landscape of the plains. 



The European bison, or auroch, was formerly spread over middle Europe, 

 but it is now on the road to extinction. A few remain wild in the Cau- 

 casus, while there are about eight hundred preserved in a half-domesticated 

 state in the forest of Bialowieza in Russia. 



In India and south into the Malay Archipelago are a number of cattle 

 which are domesticated and put to much the same use as our oxen. One 

 of these is the zebu, with its curious hump upon the shoulders, celebrated 

 as the sacred cattle of the Hindus. The bulls are the most esteemed, and 

 individuals are kept in the temples and treated with a kindness which 

 would be bestowed on no member of the human race, and regarded with a 

 veneration which almost surpasses belief. The banteng, farther to the 

 south, is also domesticated, but is put to more menial duties ; while the 

 gayal is remarkable for its enormous horns. The yak lives on the high 

 plains of Tibet ; it is another of the forms like our common cattle, but is 

 noticeable for its long hair, which hangs down nearly or quite to the ground 

 from its legs and flanks. In its wild condition it is much like the Ameri- 

 can buffalo in its habits, while domesticated it is stated to be nearly as 

 valuable and as tractable as our cattle. 



In the east, also, the buffalo is also tamed. This is an animal which 

 differs considerably from the buffalo of our western plains, and this con- 

 fusion of names is a good illustration of the necessity of a scientific termi- 

 nology. In the strict meaning of the word our animal is not a buffalo, 

 but apparently this name has come to stay. Neither does the employment 



