THE BUFFALO, &c. 199 



firmly fixed by the head with four ropes. The 

 enormous mane which furrounds its head is not 

 hair, but a flowing wool, divided into locks, like 

 an old fleece. This wool is very fine, as well as 

 that which covers the bunch, and the anterior 

 part of the body. The parts which appear naked 

 in the engraving, are only fo at a certain time 

 of the year, which is rather in furnmer than in 

 winter ; for, in the month of January, all parts 

 of the body were almoft. equally covered with 

 a fine, clcfe, frizled wool, under which the fkin 

 was of a footy colour ; but, on the bunch, and 

 all the other parts which are covered with long- 

 er wool, the fkin is tawi^. This bunch, which 

 oonfifts entirely of rleifi, varies according to the 

 plight of the animal. To us he appeared to dif- 

 fer from the European by the bunch and the 

 wool only. Though under much reftraint, he 

 was not ferocious, but allowed his keepers to 

 touch and carefs him. 



It would appear, that there were formerly bi- 

 fons in the north of Europe. Gefner even af- 

 ferts, that, in his time, they exifted in Scotland. 

 Having inquired into this fact, I was informed, 

 by letters both from Scotland and England, that 

 no remembrance or veftige of them could be 

 traced in that country. Mr Bell, in his travels 

 from Ruflia to China, mentions two fpecies of 

 oxen which he faw in the northern parts of Afia ; 

 one of which was the aurochs, or wild ox, and is 



the 



