MAMMALIA— BISON. 



383 



have been lost to the moderns, until recognised in the American animal. 

 The American bison, has, in fact, much resemblance to the aurochs of the 

 Germans, {Bos nriis, Bodd^rt,) identified by Cuvier, with the bonasiis of 

 Aristotle, the bison of Pausanias and Pliny, and the urus of Caesar ; and 

 which, down to the reign of Charlemagne, was not rare in Germany, but 

 is now nearly confined to the hilly country lying between the Caspian and 

 Black seas. 



The bisoti wanders constantly from place to place, either from beinjj 

 disturbed by hunters or in quest of food. They are much attracted by the 

 soft tender grass, which springs up after a fire has spread over the prairie. 

 In winter they scrape away the snow with their feet to reach the grass. 

 The bulls and cows live in separate herds, for the greater part of the year, 

 but at all seasons, one or two old bulls generally accompany a large herd 

 of cows. In the rutting season, the males fight against each other with 

 great fury, and, at that period it is very dangerous to approach them. The- 

 bison is, however, in general, a shy animal, and takes to flight instantly on 

 winding an enemy, which the acuteness of its sense of smell enables it to 

 do, from a great distance. They are less wary when they are assembled 

 together in numbers, and will then often blindly follow their leaders, regard- 

 less of, or trampling down, the hunters posted in their way. It is dange- 

 rous for the hunter to show himself after having wounded one ; for it will 

 pursue him, and although its gait may appear heavy and awkward, it will 

 have no great difficulty in overtaking the fleetest runner. 



Mr Finnan M'Donald, of the Hudson's Bay Company's clerks, was de- 

 scending the Saskatchewan in a boat, and one evening having pitched his 



