o2 THE AMERICAN BISONS. 



copies of it. Hernandez's figure, however, has been repeatedly referred to 

 as the first published figure of the American bison. Towards the end of the 

 seventeenth century a somewhat similar figure was published by Hennepin* 

 During the eighteenth century others were added by Du Pratz. Lawson 

 (in bis "History of Carolina t), Catesbv.t Buflbn. § and others. Catesby's and 

 Buffon's being very fair representations of the animal intended, and are the 

 first that attained a tolerable degree of accuracy. 



The first good figures are those given by F. Cuvier and GeofTroy. || consist- 

 ing of a series of three, drawn from specimens living in the Menagerie at 

 Paris. The first is that of a young male in summer pelage, the second that of 

 a young female, and the third that of a calf a few weeks old. These are all 

 very fine, especially in respect to color, in which they excel all others. those 

 of Catlin and Audubon being of too dark a tint. 



Catlin, in his "North American Indians" (Vol. I), devotes a series of 

 fourteen spirited plates to the illustration of the American bison. The male 

 is represented in plate vii of this work ; the female in plate viii; in plate ix 

 is depicted a collision of a bull and a horse during a chase, and in plate x a- 

 wounded bull is represented. In plate cv is figured a herd in the rutting 

 season; in plate cvi a herd at rest, with an old bull wallowing in the fore- 

 ground ; plates cvii to cxii form a series illustrating the hunting of the buffalo 

 by the Indians; plates exiii and cxiv represent buffaloes attacked by wolves. 



Besides Audubon's" well-known figures, among those worthy of Bpecial 

 notice are those in Schoolcraft's great work on the Indians,** in which in 

 plate viii is given a comparative view of the buffalo and domestic cow; in 

 plate ix. a view of a buffalo chase; in plate x. buffalo hunting in winter; in 

 plate xi, a view of a huge herd of buffaloes : in plate xii. another view of a 

 huge herd with an old bull in the foreground : plate xiii. buffalo skinning. 



The earlier figures are of course noteworthy only as being the firel at- 

 tempts at delineating the American bi-on. Those by Catlin. on the other 

 hand, truthfully and vividly depicl scenes which, though formerly character- 



* Discovery "f ;i Vart Country, etc., p. 90. 

 t Fig 116. 



J N.ii. Ili-t. nf Carolina, etc., pi- xx. 

 ^ Ili-t Nat, SoppL, III. pi- v. 

 Hi- N'.ii ,1.- M:un . Tumi- 1, livr. »ii (young male) j Toon II. Utt. sxxii (young female) j Tome III. 

 li\r. \li\ (. ill ,i few wceki old). 



id. N..nli A rica, Vol II. pit. Ki. ML 



•• |i I md. IimI1.ui Tribei of N'.inli A rica, Vol IV. pis \iii \iii. 



