BISON. 119 



thence eastward through Southern Mysore to Denkanicotta, 

 the jungles fringing the Western Ghauts as far north as 

 Saugor, and those along the Eastern Ghauts, and their 

 prolongation to the Sumbulpore forests, all harbour the 

 bison. I have tracked them in the Mahoor and Pakhal 

 districts of the Nizam's dominions, and since his Highness 

 has taken a large tract of the country into preservation, 

 they may be expected to increase and multiply accordingly. 

 A few were to be found some years ago in that uninviting 

 looking scrub jungle lying to the south-west of Cuddapah, 

 but the cream of the bison country may be said to be in 

 the triangle Bangalore, Mangalore, Travancore. The bull 

 is from eighteen to twenty hands high, dark chocolate 

 colour, with white stockings ; length of horns, thirty 

 inches ; spread, thirty-eight, tip to tip, twenty-seven ; 

 length of head, twenty -two inches ; the eyes are blue. 

 These are the measurements of a good bull's head and 

 horns, but I have records of two animals considerably 

 larger.* 



The cows are lighter in colour, and smaller in size, but 

 in thick covert are easily mistaken for a bull ; the height 

 and horns of a good cow often approaching those of the 

 male in size. In every point, it is a far superior animal to 

 its American namesake, nor does it resemble that animal 

 in any way, being probably at least twice its weight, and 

 proportionately superior in size. It bears the reputation 

 of being a more formidable animal than either tiger or 

 elephant, and more dangerous to stalk, and among my 

 acquaintances who have followed this sport several have 

 been roughly handled, among others the late General 

 Douglas Hamilton, of the Madras Army, a famous sports- 

 man, Captains Barnett, Chamberlayne, and Gaisford, the 

 * Vide Chapter XV. 



