﻿450 
  

  

  EEPOET 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  proportions 
  not 
  differing 
  essentially 
  from 
  Eiitimeyer's, 
  though 
  the 
  figures 
  

   range 
  ten 
  to 
  fifteen 
  per 
  cent, 
  larger, 
  being 
  probably 
  based 
  on 
  larger 
  spec- 
  

   imens. 
  

  

  Carpus 
  and 
  Metacarpus 
  i- 
  1 
  1- 
  ^ 
  

  

  Eadios 
  1.260 
  VS.CSO 
  (1.) 
  1.327 
  ;>3.901 
  (L) 
  

  

  Humerus 
  (with 
  Trochanter) 
  1.420J 
  1.574J 
  

  

  Scapula 
  1.940 
  1.836 
  

  

  Metacarpus 
  1.400^ 
  1.364^ 
  

  

  Tibia 
  1.6S0 
  > 
  4. 
  800 
  (1.130) 
  1.727 
  )• 
  4. 
  834 
  (1.155) 
  

  

  Femur 
  (with 
  Trochanter) 
  1.720 
  J 
  L743J 
  

  

  The 
  differences 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  species 
  in 
  these 
  proportions 
  are 
  very 
  

   slight, 
  scarcely 
  greater 
  in 
  fact 
  than 
  occur 
  betweeu 
  different 
  individuals 
  

   of 
  Bison 
  americamis. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  J. 
  E. 
  Gray 
  placed 
  the 
  aurochs 
  and 
  American 
  bison 
  in 
  different 
  

   sections 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Bison, 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  which, 
  containing 
  the 
  aurochs, 
  

   is 
  characterized 
  as 
  having 
  the 
  " 
  tarsi 
  elongate, 
  fore 
  and 
  hind 
  quarters 
  

   subequal," 
  and 
  the 
  other, 
  containing 
  the 
  American 
  bison, 
  as 
  having 
  the 
  

   " 
  tarsi 
  short, 
  hinder 
  quarters 
  very 
  low." 
  In 
  the 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  au- 
  

   rochs 
  he 
  says 
  again, 
  " 
  fore 
  and 
  hind 
  legs 
  subequal 
  ; 
  tarsi 
  elongate," 
  con- 
  

   trasting 
  it 
  with 
  "tarsus 
  short, 
  hinder 
  quarters 
  very 
  low/' 
  in 
  his 
  diagno- 
  

   sis 
  of 
  Bison 
  americamis. 
  The 
  difference 
  in 
  height 
  betweeu 
  the 
  fore 
  and 
  

   hindquarters 
  of 
  the 
  aurochs 
  and 
  American 
  bison 
  is, 
  as 
  already 
  shown, 
  

   more 
  apparent 
  than 
  real, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  greater 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  pelvic 
  region 
  

   in 
  the 
  aurochs. 
  The 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  relative 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  tarsus 
  is 
  

   also 
  much 
  less 
  than 
  one 
  might 
  infer 
  from 
  Dr. 
  Gray's 
  diagnosis. 
  

  

  In 
  Bison 
  americamis 
  the 
  proportional 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  metatarsal 
  bone 
  to 
  

   the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  femur 
  and 
  tibia 
  taken 
  together 
  is 
  (in 
  five 
  specimens) 
  

   as 
  29-31 
  to 
  100 
  ; 
  in 
  Bison 
  bonasus 
  (two 
  specimens), 
  as 
  28 
  to 
  100, 
  show- 
  

   ing 
  an 
  actual 
  slightly 
  greater 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  metatarsal 
  segment 
  in 
  Bison 
  

   americamis. 
  The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  carpus 
  and 
  metacarpus 
  in 
  B. 
  americamis 
  

   (same 
  specimens) 
  to 
  the 
  length 
  ot^' 
  tarsus 
  and 
  metatarsus 
  is 
  as 
  74 
  to 
  100 
  ; 
  

   in 
  Bison 
  honasiis, 
  as 
  73 
  to 
  100. 
  The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   fore 
  limb 
  (humerus 
  and 
  radius) 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  hind 
  limb 
  

   (feruur 
  and 
  tibia) 
  in 
  B. 
  americamis 
  (same 
  specimens 
  as 
  before) 
  is 
  as 
  

   75-83 
  to 
  100 
  ; 
  in 
  B. 
  bonasus, 
  as 
  80-81 
  to 
  100. 
  These 
  proportions 
  coin- 
  

   cide 
  with 
  those 
  obtained 
  from 
  comparing 
  the 
  entire 
  fore 
  and 
  hind 
  limbs 
  

   with 
  each 
  other, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  relative 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  animal 
  at 
  the 
  

   shoulder 
  and 
  hip 
  (as 
  previously 
  given); 
  and 
  show 
  a 
  slightly 
  greater 
  av- 
  

   erage 
  relative 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  hind 
  limb 
  i*n 
  B. 
  bonasus 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  

   B. 
  americamis. 
  The 
  differences, 
  however, 
  are 
  really 
  much 
  less 
  than 
  

   different 
  individuals 
  of 
  either 
  species 
  present 
  when 
  compared 
  with 
  each 
  

   other. 
  

  

  Table 
  I-L*] 
  — 
  Measurements 
  of 
  Skeletons 
  of 
  Bison 
  americanus 
  and 
  Bison 
  ionasus. 
  

  

  Bison 
  americanus. 
  

  

  Bison 
  bonasus. 
  

  

  "Whole 
  length 
  of 
  skeleton 
  (including 
  skull) 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  "skull 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  cervical 
  vertebras 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  dorsal 
  vertebrffi 
  , 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  lumbar 
  vertebrte 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  sacral 
  

  

  Lengtli 
  of 
  caudal 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  Ir-at 
  rib 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  first 
  rib, 
  osseous 
  portion, 
  along 
  external 
  

   curvature 
  

  

  d 
  

   3338 
  

   5-27 
  

   527 
  

   U50 
  

   407 
  

   254 
  

   47G 
  

   452 
  

  

  414 
  

  

  d 
  

   2980 
  

   530 
  

   470 
  

   950 
  

   340 
  

   190 
  

   500 
  

   350 
  

  

  300 
  

  

  2916 
  

   565 
  

   430 
  

   900 
  

   330 
  

   210 
  

   4S0 
  

   380 
  

  

  330 
  

  

  2920 
  

   510 
  

   480 
  

   880 
  

   380 
  

   250 
  

   420 
  

  

  ? 
  

   3120 
  

   500 
  

   .SCO 
  

   1000 
  

   370 
  

   245 
  

   485 
  

  

  320 
  

  

  ? 
  

   2789 
  

   422 
  

   457 
  

   8C8 
  

   357 
  

   228 
  

   457 
  

   287 
  

  

  274 
  

  

  d 
  d 
  

   3375 
  3416 
  

  

  5S0 
  

   590 
  

   940 
  

   390 
  

   315 
  

   560 
  

   345 
  

  

  565 
  

   538 
  

   985 
  

   400 
  

   293 
  

   635 
  

   375 
  

  

  509 
  

   1433 
  

  

  [* 
  Table 
  IX 
  of 
  the 
  original.— 
  Ed.] 
  

  

  