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Zoological Sociely: 151 
they were shut up, they turned their looks now toward the immense 
forest, then toward the carpet of verdure spread out before them in 
-the distance ; they seemed to recollect their wild liberty, and lower- 
ing their head they returned into their stable with an inexpressible 
sadness, . 
Six Bison calves, taken last year during the chase which I have 
just described, were brought up in two places, at some distance from 
one another. The two males caught during the first chase suffered 
nothing from the new food which was offered them; the others, 
which drank the milk instead of sucking it, had diarrhea for a 
_week, But it is probable that this complaint arose from the milk, 
with which they were fed, being brought from some distance, and 
becoming sour on the transport ; for as soon as two cows were pro- 
cured for each Bison, and they received fresh and lukewarm milk, 
the complaint ceased. . The two first became accustomed also to lick 
salt, whilst the others never touched it. As for the young Bison, 
aged 15 months, he would not take milk, and began from the first 
day to eat oats mixed with chopped straw, hay from the forest and the 
meadows, the bark and leaves of the ash, the wild pear, the hornbeam, 
the aspen and other young shrubs. The same food served for the 
other young Bisons, when milk was no longer given them. They 
drink spring and river water indifferently, and take more and oftener 
in the day during the summer. The young calves refused at first 
to quench their thirst with pure water, and it was necessary to 
whiten the water with a little milk. Hunger and thirst make them 
utter a kind of grunt similar to that of the pig. Abundant and 
varied food, a stable which in winter protected them against the 
cold and in summer against insects, had a remarkable influence on 
the growth of the young Bison ; so much so, that a young female, 
captured in January of this year, and intended to supply the place of 
ene which died, was found to be only half as large as its companions 
of the same age taken last year and brought up by man’s care. And 
as history tells us of bisons being killed of enormous size, and that 
in their wild state they are of different shapes, it would be interest- 
ing to ascertain what dimensions a Bison might attain, tamed, fed, 
and brought up by man; especially in England, where the art of 
rearing domestic animals is carried to the highest degree of perfec- 
tion. Another still more important experiment would be to attempt 
to couple a Bison bull with a domestic cow; and I am led to think 
the thing possible from the inclination manifested by the young 
Bison bull taken last year, and now aged 2 years and 3 months, 
towards the female calf. Perhaps anew crossed race of cattle might 
thus be obtained, which, uniting extraordinary strength and agility 
with docility and attachment to man, might become of. great utility 
-tohim. Lastly, taking into consideration that one pair of young 
tamed Bisons is destined for London, the second for St. Petersburgh, 
and the third to remain here, on their natal soil, it would be no less 
interesting to communicate reciprocally and at proper times the 
comparative observations which shall have been made on the climatal 
influence exercised on these animals in the afferent regions whither 
‘they shall be transplanted. 
