34 THE BISON. 



CHAPTEE II. 



THE BISON. 



rUXGO BUFFALO — BOS A^IERICAXTS — TAURUS MEXICANUS — BCEUF 

 SAVAGE — AMERICAN BULL, 



THE bison, or buffalo, is one of tbe noblest victims 

 sacrificed to tbe love of sport. Tbe Indian 

 destroys bim for food, and to exbibit bis prowess ; 

 wbile tbe wbite bunter kills tbe buffalo for sport, 

 for food, and for profit. Tbe peculiar interest at- 

 tacbing to tbe bison is attributable, perbaps, to bis 

 immense size and strengtb, bis sbaggy, ferocious ap- 

 pearance, as well as tbe boundless extent of prairie 

 over wbicb be ranges. 



Our information witb regard to tbis animal (tbanks 

 to tbe enterprising sportsmen- and naturalists wbo 

 bave bunted bim in bis native baunts), is tolerably 

 complete and autbentic. 



In times gone by it is very probable tbat no part 

 of tbe American continent was unvisited by tbem, 

 altbougb tbe Eastern States, from being so beavily 

 wooded, were not so mucb frequented by tbe bison 

 as tbe vast unbroken prairies of tbe soutbern and 



