Zoological Society. 151 



they were shut up, they turned their looks now toward the immense 

 forest, then toward the carpet of verdure spread out before them in 

 the distance ; they seemed to recollect their wild liberty, and lower- 

 ing their head they returned into their stable with an inexpressible 

 sadness. 



Six Bison calves, taken last year during the chase which I have 

 just described, were brought up in two places, at some distance from 

 one another. The two males caught during the first chase suffered 

 nothing from the new food which was offered them ; the others, 

 which drank the milk instead of sucking it, had diarrhoea for a 

 week. But it is probable that this complaint arose from the milk, 

 with which they were fed, being brought from some distance, and 

 becoming sour on the transport ; for as soon as two cows were pro- 

 cured for each Bison, and they received fresh and lukewarm milk, 

 the complaint ceased. The two first became accustomed also to lick 

 salt, whilst the others never touched it. As for the young Bison, 

 aged 15 months, he would not take milk, and began from the first 

 day to eat oats mixed with chopped straw, hay from the forest and the 

 meadows, the bark and leaves of the ash, the wild pear, the hornbeam, 

 the aspen and other young shrubs. The same food served for the 

 other young Bisons, when milk was no longer given them. They 

 drink sprmg and river water indifferently, and take more and oftener 

 in the day during the summer. The young calves refused at first 

 to quench their thirst with pure water, and it was necessary to 

 whiten the water with a little milk. Hunger and thirst make them 

 utter a kind of grunt similar to that of the pig. Abundant and 

 varied food, a stable which in winter protected them against the 

 cold and in summer against insects, had a remarkable influence on 

 the grov,'th of the young Bison ; so much so, that a young female, 

 captured in January of this year, and intended to supply the place of 

 one which died, was found to be only half as large as its companions 

 of the same age taken last year and brought up by man's care. And 

 as history tells us of bisons being killed of enormous size, and that 

 in their wild state they are of different shapes, it would be interest- 

 ing to ascertain what dimensions a Bison might attain, tamed, fed, 

 and brought up by man ; especially in England, where the art of 

 rearing domestic animals is carried to the highest degree of perfec- 

 tion. Another still more important experiment would be to attempt 

 to couple a Bison bull with a domestic cow ; and I am led to think 

 the thing possible from the inclination manifested by the young 

 Bison bull taken last year, and now aged 2 years and 3 months, 

 towards the female calf. Perhaps a new crossed race of cattle might 

 thus be obtained, which, uniting extraordinary strength and agility 

 with docility and attachment to man, might become of great utility 

 to him. Lastly, taking into consideration that one pair of young 

 tamed Bisons is destined for London, the second for St. Petersburgh, 

 and the third to remain here, on their natal soil, it would be no less 

 interesting to communicate reciprocally and at proper times the 

 comparative observations which shall have been made on the climatal 

 influence exercised on these animals in the different regions whither 

 they shall be transplanted. 



