EUROPEAN BIG GAME 167 



awkwardly over a fallen tree, at the next he is almost lost to 

 sight in the deep snow. It is on such occasions more than any 

 that the sportsman must remain cool. More shots have been 

 clean missed at close quarters than at thirty and forty yards, 

 and though as a rule the animal's sole idea is how to escape 

 from the din around him (the idea of attacking his disturbers 

 rarely occurring to him), still instances have been known, and 

 not unfrequently, when an old she bear with cubs has stood 

 up and charged. Poor thing ! she has not much chance 

 against two rifles, a bear spear, a long hunting-knife and a 

 revolver, which generally constitute the equipment of a 

 chasseur d'ours. 



AUROCHS HUNTING 

 BY MAJOR ALGERNON HEBER PERCY 



The European bison, or aurochs, Bison Bonasns, which 

 used to roam in large herds over Europe, is now exclusively 

 confined to the forest of Biolvitskia, in Lithuania, where it 

 is known by the name of zubr. 1 



It has long been protected and preserved here most strictly, 

 and has been kept solely as a royal quarry, certainly from the 

 time of the kings of Poland. 



Its habits appear much to resemble those of the wood 

 bison of America now almost extinct ; for example it makes itself 

 mud baths like the well-known buffalo wallows in the plains 

 of North America. Heads of these magnificent animals being 

 excessively rare, I give the dimensions of the bull and cow 

 which I killed and have now set up : 



Bull Cow 



Tip of horn to tip of horn . . . i8 ins. 6 ins. 



Base of horn to tip round curve outside . 17^ 15^. 



inside . 13* 10 



Circumference of horn at base . . .10,, 8 



Across forehead 13 ro 



1 Unless the Caucasian zubr, of which Mr. St. George Littledale had 

 recently killed a specimen, bt; (as the Caucasians maintain) identical with the 

 Lithuanian beast. C. P.-W. 



