HABITS OF THE BISON. 41 



Over the boundless grassy plains the buffalo roams in 

 vast herds, as far as the eye can reach, covering the 

 whole landscape, till their diminished forms appear 

 in the di.-tance like so many black spots on the 

 horizon. These prairies are the true buffalo-grounds, 

 and on them the bison is hunted by white-man and 

 red-skin. 



If the hunter can conceal himself in some ravine 

 or hollow, and w^atch a herd of buffalo when they 

 suppose themselves to be in perfect security, he will, 

 on witnessing their frolic, suppose them to be a 

 most careless, jolly, dare-devil set of animals, full of 

 fun and sport. They will throw up the gTass with 

 their horns, scatter the turf in every direction with 

 their hoofs, and, in a very rough kind of sport, butt 

 at each other with almost as much force as two rival 

 enoines meetinc; each other on a line of railway. 

 In spite of the violence of the shock, these en- 

 counters are seldom known to result fatally to the 

 animals ; most probably owing to the immense strength 

 of the spinous process, as well as to the quantity of 

 hair about their foreheads. 



Durino- the ruttino- season, however, these mimic 

 fights give place to the most desperate encounters, and 

 at that time it is dangerous to approach them, as they 

 charge with the utmost ^dolence at anything they see 

 or smell. A close view of one of these wild bulls will 

 convince the spectator how terrible an antagonist a 



