224 AUDUBON THE NATUEALIST. 



having readied it, thej must scramble up the 

 bank, ere thej can gain the open prairie be- 

 yond. 



There we may also witness severe combats 

 between the valiant bulls, hear their angry bel- 

 lowing, and observe their sagacity, as well as 

 courage, when disturbed by the approach of 

 man. 



The American bison is much addicted to 

 wandering, and the various herds annually re- 

 move from the ISTorth at the approach of winter, 

 although many may be found, during that sea- 

 son, remaining in high latitudes, their thick 

 woolly coats enabling them to resist a low tem- 

 perature, without suffering greatly. During a 

 severe winter, however, numbers of them perish, 

 especially the old, and the very young ones. 



When the buffalo bull is working himself up 

 to a belligerent state, he paws the ground, bel- 

 lows loudly, and goes through nearly all the 

 actions we may see performed by the domesti- 

 cated bull under similar circumstances, and 

 finally rushes at his foe head foremost, with all 

 his speed and strength. Notwithstanding the 

 violent shock with which two bulls thus meet 

 in mad career, these encounters have never been 

 known to result fatally, probably owing to the 

 Btrength of the spinous process commonly called 



