MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. B04 
Tt was found in a small glade in the forest, but, owing to the rain we have 
been having throughout the season, no tracks were traceable. At first I 
thought some bison must have died, but, on searching all round, not a trace of 
bones could be found, although the jungle was open. Moreover, on second 
thoughts it seemed to me that, even if the bison had died, no animal would have 
any object, granted that it had the strength, to tear the horn and core from the 
skull. The horn and bone of the fracture were in good condition, only some- 
what dirty, and the horn was quite unattacked by insects, which fact testified 
clearly that the horn had come there since the last rainy season. Hence the 
only conclusion I can arrive at is that two bulls in fighting got their horns 
locked and thus one got broken off. This seems most probable, as I do not 
think it could have been broken off in a charge without some damaging marks 
on the horn being visible. It is just possible that the bull got his horn caught 
in a tree and thus broke it, the skin around the-base of the horn supporting it 
for a short time. The horn may then have been dropped anywhere, No tree 
was noticeable near where this would have been possible. Also, if the horn 
was so caught in the tree that the bison could not get free without breaking 
the horn, it is unlikely that after breaking it he would be able to disentangle 
it, and then the horn would have been found near the tree. So, on the whole, 
the conclusion to be arrived at seems to me to be that it was broken off in 
fighting with another bull. The strength required to do this must have been 
enormous, and I certainly do not believe any other animal in these forests, 
except a bison, would have sufficient strength. Anyhow, if a tiger had done it 
(and even he would have had no object except ina fight), he must have left 
Some marks of his claws or teeth on the horn. The horn is not large, only 
measuring 24” in length (round the outer curve) and 131” girth at the base in 
the dry state, which would mean about 14” when alive. 
I shall be very interested to hear whether horns so torn off have been found 
before and as to what cause you attribute the tearing off. Also as to whether 
you think the bison could possibly have lived after thus losing his horn, If so, 
I will be on the look-out for him, 
The only other case that I have heard of in which a horn was thus com- 
pletely torn otf was in the Chanda district. The late Mr, G. H. Foster, 
Deputy Conservator of Forests, having wounded a buffalo (Bubalus arni, 
Jerdon) from his elephant and thinking it dead, approached it on the elephant, 
whereupon it charged. The elephant, not knowing what to make of this beast, 
which had made a huge wound in his foreleg with its horn, wound his trunk 
around the horn and tore it clean off core and all, Both elephant and buffalo 
then bolted off in opposite directions, the mahout having lost his head com- 
pletely, The buffalo was tracked up by two Gonds, who found it dead two or 
three days after, no doubt partly from the effect of the bullet-wound and 
partly from the shock of losing its horn. 
