﻿ALLEx.] 
  RELATIONSHIP 
  OF 
  THE 
  BISON 
  TO 
  THE 
  AUEOCH. 
  449 
  

  

  the 
  American 
  bison 
  at 
  the 
  highest 
  dorsal 
  spine 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  sixty-six 
  

   inches 
  ; 
  at 
  the 
  anterior 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  sacrum, 
  filty-two 
  inches 
  : 
  which 
  makes 
  

   the 
  proportioa 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  measurements 
  as 
  80 
  to 
  100. 
  The 
  hei-^ht 
  

   of 
  the 
  aurochs 
  at 
  the 
  highest 
  dorsal 
  spine 
  is 
  seventy-three 
  inches 
  • 
  at 
  the 
  

   anterior 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  sacrum, 
  sixty 
  inches 
  ; 
  making 
  the 
  proportion 
  between 
  

   the 
  two 
  measurements 
  as 
  82 
  to 
  100. 
  This 
  difference 
  is 
  not 
  greater 
  than 
  

   olten 
  occurs 
  between 
  two 
  individuals 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species. 
  A 
  compar- 
  

   ison 
  ot 
  the 
  anterior 
  and 
  posterior 
  limbs 
  gives 
  a 
  similar 
  result 
  Thus 
  

   the 
  proportionate 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  fore 
  limb 
  (excluding 
  the 
  scapula) 
  to 
  the 
  

   hmd 
  limb, 
  m 
  the 
  American 
  bison, 
  is 
  the 
  some 
  as 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  aurochs 
  

   namely, 
  as 
  91 
  to 
  100. 
  ' 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  skeleton 
  of 
  the 
  aurochs 
  is, 
  generally 
  speaking, 
  heavier 
  and 
  

   more 
  massive 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  bison, 
  and 
  considerably 
  larger 
  

   m 
  all 
  Its 
  measurements, 
  the 
  ribs 
  are 
  actually 
  much 
  shorter 
  and 
  straio-hter 
  

   giving 
  a 
  mucJi 
  smaller 
  thoracic 
  cavity. 
  The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  rib^'in 
  B 
  

   americanus, 
  for 
  example, 
  is 
  452 
  mm.; 
  in 
  B. 
  honasus, 
  375 
  mm.- 
  of 
  the 
  

   third 
  rib 
  in 
  B. 
  aonericanus, 
  548; 
  in 
  B. 
  bonasus, 
  492; 
  of 
  the 
  sixth 
  rib 
  m 
  

   B. 
  americanus, 
  711 
  ; 
  in 
  B. 
  bonasus, 
  697 
  ; 
  of 
  the 
  ninth 
  rib 
  in 
  B. 
  america- 
  

   7ms 
  910; 
  m 
  B. 
  bonasm, 
  869; 
  of 
  the 
  twelfth 
  rib 
  in 
  B. 
  americanus, 
  783; 
  

   in 
  h. 
  boncmi.% 
  750; 
  of 
  the 
  fourteenth 
  rib 
  (osseous 
  portions 
  only) 
  in 
  B 
  

   amencanus, 
  437; 
  in 
  B. 
  bonasus, 
  418. 
  The 
  pelvis, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  'hand 
  is 
  

   lully 
  one 
  fourth 
  larger 
  in 
  all 
  its 
  dimensions, 
  and 
  the 
  bones 
  that 
  enter 
  

   mto 
  its 
  composition 
  are 
  far 
  more 
  massive 
  in 
  the 
  aurochs 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  

   American 
  bison. 
  The 
  smaller 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  vertebral 
  

   column 
  in 
  the 
  American 
  bison 
  is 
  also 
  further 
  seen 
  in 
  its 
  diminutive 
  tail 
  

   as 
  compared 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  aurochs. 
  Among 
  other 
  noticeable 
  skeletal 
  

   dilferences 
  are 
  the 
  relatively 
  greater 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  series 
  of 
  the 
  

   Tertebrss, 
  and 
  shorter 
  sternum 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  bison. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  above-given 
  comparisons 
  are 
  based 
  on 
  a 
  single 
  skeleton 
  of 
  

   each 
  species, 
  the 
  subjoined 
  measurements 
  (see 
  Table 
  I) 
  shows 
  tbat 
  these 
  

   conclusions 
  are 
  borne 
  out 
  by 
  further 
  material. 
  

  

  As 
  already 
  noticed 
  (p. 
  2[*J 
  ), 
  the 
  American 
  bison 
  is 
  not 
  distinguished 
  

   trom 
  the 
  aurochs 
  by 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  fifteen 
  pairs 
  of 
  ribs 
  and 
  only 
  four 
  

   lumbar 
  vertebrae, 
  as 
  was 
  formerly 
  supposed, 
  and 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  so 
  often 
  

   stated, 
  the 
  two 
  species 
  having 
  normally 
  the 
  same 
  number 
  of 
  lumbar 
  ver- 
  

   tebras 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  number 
  of 
  pairs 
  of 
  ribs. 
  Professor 
  Riitimeyerf 
  re- 
  

   fers 
  to 
  the 
  greater 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  anterior 
  dorsal 
  spines 
  iu 
  Bisonamericaiius, 
  

   but 
  this 
  difterence 
  is 
  evidentl.v 
  not 
  constant, 
  as 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  meas- 
  

   urements 
  given 
  in 
  Table 
  I. 
  He 
  also 
  regards 
  the 
  differences 
  in 
  the 
  rel- 
  

   ative 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  extremities 
  to 
  each 
  other 
  

   and 
  to 
  the 
  whole 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  animal 
  as 
  affording 
  differences 
  worthy 
  of 
  

   note. 
  He 
  gives 
  a 
  table 
  illustrative 
  of 
  these 
  differences, 
  which 
  I 
  subjoin. 
  

   He 
  says: 
  "Nab 
  m 
  ich 
  die 
  Large 
  von 
  Metacarpus 
  und 
  Carpus 
  zusammeu 
  

   als 
  Einheit, 
  so 
  verhielten 
  sich 
  dazu 
  die 
  andern 
  Segmente 
  der 
  Extremi- 
  

   tiiten 
  folgendermassen 
  : 
  

  

  Bison 
  americanus. 
  B. 
  europjeus. 
  

  

  " 
  Carpus— 
  Metacarpus 
  ^- 
  ) 
  I 
  ) 
  

  

  Radius 
  (Aussenseite) 
  1. 
  I02 
  >:3.387 
  (1. 
  ) 
  l."254 
  i?, 
  G97 
  CI 
  ) 
  

  

  Humerus 
  mit 
  Trocbauter 
  1.285 
  > 
  1 
  44:5 
  S 
  " 
  

  

  Scapula 
  vorderer 
  Eand 
  1. 
  7!)5 
  l' 
  843 
  

  

  Metacarpus 
  iiiit 
  Naviculare 
  1 
  . 
  l.'Sl 
  ) 
  1 
  ' 
  098 
  ^ 
  

  

  Tibia 
  ausscn.. 
  l.:i79V3.99a 
  (1.180) 
  l! 
  588 
  U. 
  489 
  (1. 
  214)." 
  

  

  I'enuir 
  uiit 
  Trochanter 
  1.469) 
  1.803 
  1 
  

  

  Taking 
  the 
  same 
  method 
  of 
  comparison 
  with 
  five 
  specimens 
  of 
  i?. 
  amcri- 
  

   camis 
  and 
  two 
  specimens 
  of 
  B. 
  bonasus 
  {=europKus) 
  as 
  a 
  basis, 
  gives 
  

  

  [' 
  Of 
  the 
  original 
  edition. 
  — 
  Eo.] 
  

  

  t 
  Versuch 
  cinor 
  uatiirlichou 
  Guschichte 
  des 
  Eiades, 
  etc. 
  Part 
  II 
  p 
  G3 
  

   29 
  G 
  S 
  , 
  ,e- 
  ' 
  

  

  