COW KIND. 247 



goes but nine months, whereas the buffalo conti- 

 nues pregnant for twelve. They are all afraid of 

 fire, and, perhaps in consequence of this, have 

 an aversion to red colours, that resemble the 

 colour of flame : it is said, that in those countries 

 where they are found in plenty, no person dares 

 to dress in scarlet. In general they are inoffen- 

 sive animals, if undisturbed, as indeed all those 

 which feed upon grass are found to be ; but 

 when they are wounded, or when even but fired 

 at, nothing then can stop their fury ; they then 

 turn up the ground with their fore-feet, bellow 

 much louder and more terribly than the bull, and 

 make at the object of their resentment with un- 

 governable rage. It is happy, in such circum- 

 stances, if the person they pursue has a wall to 

 escape over, or some such obstacle, otherwise they 

 soon overtake, and instantly destroy him. It is 

 remarkable, however, that although the horns are 

 so very formidable, they in general make more 

 use of their feet in combat, and rather tread their 

 enemies to death than gore them. 



Having thus gone through the history of these 

 animals, it may be proper to observe, that no 

 names have been more indiscriminately used 

 than those of the bull, the urus, the bison, and 

 the buffalo. It therefore becomes such as would 

 have distinct ideas of each, to be careful in sepa- 

 rating the kinds, the one from the other, allow- 

 ing the cow for the standard of all. The urus, 

 whether of the large enormous kind of Lithuania, 

 or the smaller race of Spain, whether with long 

 or short horns, whether with or without long hair 



