HISTORY. 209 



the Gaurs are in any way molested, they will attack the per- 

 sons disturbing them, and never quit them till they have put 

 them to death. 



The European Bison is a large animal, equalling in stature 

 the tallest of the domestic oxen of the countries he inhabits. 

 His head is broad, and the forehead bulging ; the horns are 

 round, thick, black, and of a hard consistence, arid larger in 

 the male than in the female : the eye is small, and its usual 

 character is placid ; but when the animal is roused to anger, 

 the pupil narrows to a slit, the coat becomes inflamed, and 

 all the expression indicates blind fury and madness. The 

 tongue is covered with tubercles, and, together with the lips, 

 gums, and palate, is blue. The trunk and hinder parts of 

 the body are relatively slender, the shoulders thick, and in 

 the adult male the spines are so lengthened as to form withers. 

 The skin is exceedingly thick, and emits the odour of musk. 

 The trunk, down to the knees, is covered with woolly hair, 

 the top of the head, neck, and shoulder, with long hair mixed 

 with frizzled wool, forming a mane, and from the chine to the 

 chest is a kind of beard. The tail comes below the hocks, and 

 at its extremity is furnished with a brush of long bristly 

 hairs. The female has smaller horns than the male, and 

 less elevated withers. Though a large animal, she has an 

 udder smaller than that of the least of the domestic Cows. 



These creatures are ferocious, strong, and fearless of ene- 

 mies. They hold their heads low, are swift of foot, but are 

 soon worn out, seldom running farther than one or two Eng- 

 lish miles. They swim with facility, and delight to cool them- 

 selves in water. Their favourite places of resort are thickets 

 near the swampy banks of rivers. In the warmer season 

 they frequent shadowy spots ; in winter they keep quiet during 

 the day, in the thickets of firs and pines, browsing only at 

 night, and finding sustenance on the bark of young trees. 

 The thrusts of an old bull will overturn trees of five or six 

 inches diameter. An old bull, we are informed, is a match 



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