ANIMALS OF THE 



animal resembles the tame one very exactly, ex- 

 cept in some trifling varieties, which his state of 

 wildness, or the richness of the pastures where he 

 is found, may easily have produced. 



The bison, which is another variety of the cow 

 kind, differs from the rest in having a lump be- 

 tween its shoulders. These animals are of vari- 

 ous kinds ; some very large, others as diminutive- 

 ly little. In general, to regard this animal's fore- 

 parts, he has somewhat the look of a lion, with a 

 long shaggy mane, and a beard under his chin ; 

 his head is little, his eyes red and fiery, with a 

 furious look ; the forehead is large, and the horns 

 so big, and so far asunder, that three men might 

 often sit between them. On the middle of the 

 back there grows a bunch almost as high as that 

 of a camel, covered with hair, and which is con- 

 sidered as a great delicacy by those that hunt 

 him. There is no pursuing him with safety, ex- 

 cept in forests where there are trees large enough 

 to hide the hunters. He is generally taken by 

 pit-falls ; the inhabitants of those countries where 

 he is found wild digging holes in the ground-, and 

 covering them over with boughs of trees and 

 grass ; then provoking the bison to pursue them, 

 they get on the opposite side of the pit-fall, while 

 the furious animal, running head foremost, falls 

 into the pit prepared for him, and is there quick- 

 ly overcome and slain. 



Besides these real distinctions in the cow kind, 

 there have been many others made that appear 

 to be in name only. Thus the Bonassus, of which 

 naturalists have given us long descriptions, is sup- 



