CHAPTER II. 



THE INDIAN BISON (GAVMUS GAURUS) 



r I ^HE Indian bison Gav&us Gaurus is a mag- 

 JL nificent animal, which may well be described 

 as emperor of all the bovinse in the world. In point 

 of size, his height, averaging in a big bull about six 

 feet (or a few inches more) at the shoulder, is superior 

 to that of any of the others, while he yields to none 

 in activity, gameness, and symmetry of form. 



The mature bull is black, with yellow-and-dirty 

 white -coloured stockings. The cows are dark- 

 brown, while young animals vary in hue from 

 reddish-brown to brown. The dorsal ridge, which 

 rises between the shoulders and terminates over 

 the loins, is a striking feature in the Indian bison. 

 The horns of mature bulls vary in shape and size 

 so much that it is not easy to describe them. 

 Roughly speaking, however, they may be said to 

 curve outwards, upwards, and inwards, and in the 

 case of old specimens to be very much corrugated 

 from the bases to a considerable portion of their 

 length, while the tips are usually more or less worn 

 down and blunted by use. In colour they are very 

 dark at the bases, greenish or yellowish above, and 

 black at and near the tips. The horns of young 

 bulls curve outwards much less than do those of 

 bulls of mature age, and they are quite smooth. 

 In size, the horns of old bulls vary enormously. 



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