THE AMERICAN BISONS. 37 



Proc. Zool. Soc. London, XVIII, 177, 1850. — Audubon & Bachman, Quid. N. Amer., II, 32, pis. 



lvi, lvii, 1851. — Baird, Rep. U. S. Pat. Off, Agricult., 1851, 124 (plate), 1852. — Leidy, Proc. 



Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1854, 200, 210; Extinct Mam. Faun. N. Amer., 371, 1869. — Allen, Bull. 



Essex Institute, VI, 46, 54, 59, 63, 1874. — Rutimeyer, Verhandl. Naturf. Gesells. in Berlin, IV, 



iii, 1865; Versuch einer naturlichen Geschichte des Rindes, II, 58. 

 Bos bison var. /3 Linne, Syst. Nat., I, 99, 1766. — Kalm, Travels in N. Amer. (Forster's Transl.), I, 297. 

 Bos bison Schintz, Synop. Mam., 482, 1845 (in part only). 

 "Bos urus var. Bodd., Elen. Anim., 1784." 

 Bos bonasus Brandt, Zoogeographische und Pala?ontologische Beitr'age, 105, 1867 (in part only). — 



Lill.jeborg, Fauna ofvers Sveriges och Norges Ryggrad., I, 877, 1874 (in part only). 

 Taurus mexicanus Hernandez, Mexico, 587. 

 Taurus quivirensis Nieremb., Hist. Nat., 181, 182. 

 Le Bison [cC Amerique], Buffon, Hist. Nat, XI, 284, Suppl. HI, pi. v. — F. Cuvier & Geoffroy, Hist. 



Nat. des Mam., I, livr. xii, 1819 ; II, livr. xxxii; III, livr. xliv. — G. Cuvier, Reg. Anim., I, 170, 



1817; Oss. Foss., 3d Ed., IV, 117, 1825. 

 American Bison, Agassiz, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XI, 316, 1867. 

 Buffalo, Cooper, Month. Am. Journ. Geol., 1831, 174, 207 (remains at Big-bone Lick). — Knight, Amer. 



Journ. Sci., XXVII, 166, 1835 (remains at Big-bone Lick). — Lyell, Proc. Geol Soc. London, IV, 



36, 1843 (remains at Big-bone Lick). 



Description. — An adult male measures about nine feet (two and three 

 fourths metres) from the muzzle to the insertion of the tail, and thirteen 

 and a half feet (about four and one sixth metres) to the end of the 

 tail, including the hairs, which extend about fifteen inches beyond the ver- 

 tebra?. The female measures about six and a half feet (about two metres) 

 from the muzzle to the insertion of the tail, and about seven feet (two and 

 one sixth metres) to the end of the tail, including the hairs, which extend 

 about ten inches beyond the vertebrae. The height of the male at the high- 

 est part of the hump is about five and a half to six feet (about two metres) ; 

 of the female at the same point about five feet (about one and a half metres). 

 The height of the male at the hips is about four and two thirds feet (nearly 

 one and a half metres) ; of the female at the same point about four and a 

 half feet (about one and a third metres). Audubon states the weight of old 

 males to be nearly two thousand pounds, that of the full-grown fat females 

 to be about twelve hundred pounds. 



The horns of the males are short, very thick at the base, and rapidly taper 

 to a sharp point, which in old individuals becomes worn off on the lower side, 

 and the end is often shortened by the same process and occasionally much 

 splintered. Their direction is outward and upward, finally curving inward. 

 The horns of the females are much smaller at the base but nearly as long as in 

 the males, but they taper very gradually, and are hence much slenderer, and 



