Some Harmless Beasts. 155 



This idea is of course borrowed from fable, in which the 

 camel often falls a victim to the superior astuteness of the 

 boar, wolf, fox, and other animals. 



As a remote kind of beast that does not concern the 

 poets, the bison, or buffalo, finds little recognition. Jean 

 Ingelow is a very notable exception, and uses the headiong 

 herd very finely on two occasions — 



" Raging up like doom 

 Tlie dangerous dust-cloud that was full of eyes — 

 The bisons ; " 



and again — 



" The mad 

 Masterful tramping of the bison herds 

 Tearing down headlong, with their bloodshot eyes 

 In savage rifts of hair." 



B}Ton pays it the compliment of " stately," and describes 

 it tossing about, as it were a mere pastime, the pack of wolves 

 that have attacked it And here and there we meet with the 

 casual bison careering : while Leyden has a Scotch bison 

 not known to these degenerate days, " whose bounding 

 course outstripped the red deer's speed," who shook a 

 "yellow lion-mane" and "tossed his moony horns around" 

 This beast appears to have been slain in mad charge by 

 " the chief from whom their line the Turnbulls drew," and 

 it left, unfortunately, no posterity. 



" Bold was the chief from whom their line they drew, 

 Whose nervous arm the furious bison slew. 

 The bison, fiercest race of Scotia's breed, 

 Whose bounding course outstripped the red deer's speed. 

 By hunters chafed, encircled on the plain. 

 He, fuming, shook his yellow lion-mane, 

 Spumed, with black hoof, in bursting rage, the g:ound, 

 And fiercely tossed his moony horns around. 

 On Scotia's lord he rushed, with lightning speed 

 Bent his stron" neck, to toss the startled steed. 



