382 MAMMALIA-BISON. 



them, unless they are wounded, when they are very dangerous ; for they 

 make directly at their enemy, throw him down, and trample him to death 

 under their feet ; nevertheless, they are greatly terrified at the sight of fire, 

 and are displeased at a red color. 



The buffalo, like all other animals of southern climates, is fond of bath- 

 ing, and even of remaining in the water ; he swims very well, and boldly 

 traverses the most rapid floods. As his legs are longer than those of the 

 ox, he runs also quicker upon land. The negroes in Guinea, and the 

 Indians in Malabar, where the wild buffalos are very numerous, often hunt 

 them. They neither pursue them nor attack them openly, but, climbing 

 up the trees, or hiding themselves in the woods, they wait for them and kill 

 them ; the buffalos not being able, without much trouble, to penetrate these 

 forests, on account of the thickness of their bodies, and the impediment 

 of their horns, which are apt to entangle in the branches of the trees. 

 These people are fond of the flesh of the buffalo, and gain great profit by 

 Tending their hides and their horns, which are harder and better than those 

 of the ox. 



Although the buffalo is, at this present time, common in Greece, and 

 tame in Italy, it was neither known by the Greeks nor Romans ; for it 

 never had a name in the language of these people. The word buffalo, even 

 indicates a strange origin, not to be derived either from the Greek or Latin 

 tongues. In effect, this animal is originally a native of the hottest coun- 

 tries of Africa and India, and was not transported and naturalized in Italy 

 till towards the seventh century. It is true, the ancients have spoken of an 

 animal, as of a different species from the ox, under the name of buhalus ; and 

 Aristotle has mentioned the wild ox of Peeonia, which he has called honasus. 



THE AMERICAN BISON. ^ 



One of the earliest accounts we have of this animal, is by Hernandez ; 

 and Recchus' edition of his observations, or rather commentary upon them, 

 is illustrated by an engraving which seems to have been made from a rude 

 sketch of the bison, altered by the European artists to a closer resemblance 

 with the European ox. Hennepin, in the narrative of his discovery of 

 Louisiana, and his travels through that country, between the years 1669 and 

 1682, gives a very good description of the bison, together with a figure, 

 which is apparently a copy of that of Recchus. It does not appear to have 

 excited much attention in Europe until lately, when several specimens, 

 having been imported into England, were exhibited under the attractive 

 title of honasus, which, though described by the ancients, was asserted to 



• Bos Americaniis, Gmel. 



