20 THE AMERICAN BISONS. 



regarded as only the female of B. latifrons, although as late as 1873 he deemed 

 the question as to the number of species of American fossil oxen as not sat- 

 isfactorily settled* 



Sir John Richardson, in 1854, in his report on the bison remains from 

 EschscholtZ Bay, expressed himself as inclined to believe in a greater num- 

 ber of fossil species of bison than previous writers had been willing to admit. 

 He bad convinced himself, he says, that in the collections from EschscholtZ 

 Bay were " remains of one, and perhaps two, species of the bison type, 

 related as closely to the American bison as to the aurochs." Again he says 

 that some of the remains more closely resemble corresponding parts of the 

 American bison than the aurochs, though differing decidedly from both, and 

 inclines to the opinion that what he calls •• Bison priseus?" together with the 

 remains from Big-bone Lick, Dr. Leidy hail described and referred doubtfully 

 to Bison americanus, should be regarded as a distinct species and receive a 

 new name. The remains from Big-bone Lick referred to by Richardson 

 prove, however, to belong unquestionably to Bison americanus. The larger 

 specimens from EschscholtZ Bay Richardson regarded as belonging to a 

 species distinct from any that had been previously described, to which he 

 gave the name Bison crassicornis. Most authors have since regarded these 

 larger specimens as representing only the female of J?, latifrons, — a view 

 wholly untenable, as sufficiently shown in the preceding pages. 



In 18-54 Dr. Leidy recognized five species of bisons from America as more 

 or less well established, namely : 1. Bison americanus (recent and fossil). 

 2. Bison latifrons. 3. Bison priseus? Richardson. 4. Bison crassicornis Rich- 

 ardson. -V r>i*'»i o.i/i/i'x.s Leidy. Later, however, as already noticed, he 

 referred bis own B. antiquus, and also J!, crassicornis, to B. latifrons. In 1869 

 he recognized Bison priseus as distinct from B. latifrons, referring to the for- 

 mer the remains from EschscholtZ Ray. doubtfully referred by Richardson to 

 11. priseus. In 1S73, however, as already stated, lie considered the question 



a- to the number of Species of American fossil bisons a- .-till unsettled. 



All European writers of note have always regarded the American and Old 

 World fossil bison remains as pertaining to one and the same species. 

 Recent authorities, particularly Professor L Rutimeyer and Dr. .1. 1". Brandt, 

 as previously noticed, have regarded this fossil species as the immediate pro- 

 genitor of the European aurochs and the American bi80n, Brandt t at the 



• i ...iir. to Ext Vertebrates, Fauna, etc . p. 263. 



ind PaUeonl Beitrage, pp 101 152 (Verbandl mineral. Gewlla. St. IVi.t-1.ih--. II. 1MB) 



