104 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



instead of cylindrical horns (Jerdon). Lastly, there is no 

 vernacular name universally applicable to him, " Gaur " being 

 unknown in Central India ; while his occasional Central Indian 

 name of Bluiisa (with Bun or " wild " prefixed to it) is almost 

 identical in sound with " bison," and is no doubt derived from 

 the same root. If you ask for " bison " in these forests where 

 he is known (and speak a little through your nose at the same 

 time), you will certainly be shown Gavceus Gaurus and no 

 other animal. 



The respective ranges of this animal and the wild buffalo 

 (Bubalus) have sometimes been defined by sportsmen in the 

 saying that the bison is not found north, nor the buffalo south, of 

 the Narbada river. Like most apophthegms, however, this con- 

 tains little more than a flavour of the truth. Not only does the 

 bison inhabit many parts of the Vindhya Mountains, directly 

 to the north of the Narbada, but he also stretches round the 

 source of that river and penetrates into the hills of Chota- 

 Nagpur and Midnapur, and crosses over to the Nepalese Terae, 

 and the hilly regions in the east of Bengal. The wild buffalo 

 also covers the whole of the eastern part of the Central Pro- 

 vinces far to the south of the latitude of the Narbada, and also 

 the plateau of Mandla and the Godavari forests, directly to the 

 south of that river. In fact, the bison appears to inhabit every 

 part of India where he can find suitable conditions. These 

 appear to be, firstly, the close proximity of hills, for though 

 he is sometimes found on level ground, he is essentially a 

 lover of hills, and always retreats to them when disturbed ; 

 extensive ranges of forest little disturbed by man or tame 

 cattle, for, unlike the buffalo, he cannot tolerate the proxi- 

 mity of man and his works ; a plentiful supply of water and 

 green herbage ; and lastly, so far as I have observed, the 

 presence of the bamboo, on which he constantly browses. In 



