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 kin 
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 
vending 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 duffalo, 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 
ull 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 dubalus ; and 
Aristotle has mentioned the wild ox of Peonia, which he has called Jonasus. 
‘ 
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, 
naving been imported into England, were exhibited under the attractive 
title of bonasus, which, though described by the ancients, was asserted to 
1 Bos Americanus, GMEL. 
