170 THE BUFF AL O, &c. 



pofe that, in the courfe of four or five centu- 

 ries, the fpecies of bonafus has been loft, unlefs 

 we allow that the terms bonafus and bifon denote 

 only the fame animal. 



6. The bifon of America might proceed ori- 

 ginally from the European bifon. The founda- 

 tion of this opinion has already been laid in 

 our differtation on the animals peculiar to the 

 two Continents *. It was from the experi- 

 ments of M. de la Nux that we derived much 

 information on this fubject. From him we 

 learn, that the bifons, or bunched oxen of India 

 and Africa, produce with the European bulls 

 and cows, and that the bunch is only an acci- 

 dental character, which diminifhes in the firft 

 generation, and totally difappears in the fecond 

 or third. Since the Indian bifons are of the 

 fame fpecies with our oxen, and, of courfe, 

 have the fame origin, is it not natural to extend 

 this origin to the American bifon ? In fupport 

 of thisfuppofition, everything feems to concur. 

 The bifon appears to be a native of cold and 

 temperate regions. His name is derived from 

 the German language. The ancients tell us, that 

 he was found iii that part of Germany which 

 borders upon Scythia t ; and there are Mill bi- 

 fons in the northern parts of Germany, in Poland, 



and 



* See vol. 5. of this work. 



t Pauciffima Scythia gignit animalia, inopia fructus, pauca 

 contermina illi Germania, infignia tamen bourn ferorum ge- 

 nera, jubatos bifontes; Plin.. Hifi. naU lib. 8. cap. 15. 



