176 ON THE RANGE OF THE EUROPEAN BISON. [Feb. 14, 



poachers is a very difficult one for him and his mounted under- 

 keepers, and one which has not been attended with much success : 

 one is alwavs hearing the news that individuals of the few re- 

 maining herds of the Bison have been killed. 



As the extirpation of the Bison here in its last retreat in 

 the Caucasus will undoubtedly soon take place, I Lad already, 

 nearly 10 years ago, drawn out apian, v\hich would not only enable 

 me to shoot one or two specimens ( c5', $ ), but also to thoroughly 

 desci'ibe the animal both externally and internally, and to record 

 everything of anatomical importance by illustration and description. 

 I should also like to add to this an account of its habits, the places 

 it frequents, discuss the hunting of it, and give all available infor- 

 mation on the Caucasian Bison. It would likew ise be necessary 

 to compare it with a specimen from Grodno. The skeletons and 

 skius siiould be preserved and mounted. .Such a monograph as 

 this would be of great value to the next generation, when the 

 Bison will be numbered with the extinct animals. 



To accomplish this thoroughly an anatomist, with a knowledge 

 of the construction of the animal, must come and stay on the spot, 

 as well as a photographer and an artist. 



The carrying out of this good idea has unfortunately been put 

 off from year to year; however, it is probable that in 1893 it 

 will be accomplished. It is necessary to be on the spot by the 

 end of August, for in September the animal ascends the mountains 

 to from 70U0 to 8000 feet high, and it being very cold then, there 

 would be no fear of the flesh decomposing quickly. The anato- 

 mist should remain on the spot until the animal is dissected, and 

 everything measured, noted, figured, and observed. The smaller 

 soft parts could be put in spirit or preserved with salt. AVhen 

 the work has been so far advanced, it would le advisable to make 

 a stay in Psebai with the materials. The rough skeleton and skin 

 could be prepared here and packed ready for transport. 



Such an affair as this to be properly managed could not be 

 undertaken in Tiflis, but only at St. Petersburg. Here, as in 

 many other things, we are deficient in literature as well as in 

 material for comparison. 



All that is known of the Caucasian Bison previous to 1867 will 

 be found recorded in a small work of my late father-in-law, Dr. J. 

 V. Brandt : it was published in Band ii. (Ser. 2) of the ' Yerhand- 

 lungen der russisch-kaiserlichen mineralogischen Gesellschaft zu 

 St. Petersb.'pp. 101-152, under the heading of "Dombe-Adom be." 

 There is also another article by the same author in the 'Bulletin 

 de la Soc. Imp. d. Nat. de Moscou,' 1866, No. 1, in which he com- 

 pares, as far as possible, the Caucasian Bison with that of Grodno. 



The example of the Bison which is mounted in our ]Museum 

 was presented in 1868 by Count Sumarakow Elston, at that time 

 Governor of the district of Kuban ; there was, however, a young 

 specimen in the Museum in 1867, but this Avas very much damaged 

 and was disposed of after the reception of the second example. The 

 Tiflis specimen is an old bull ; it lias a very poor mane and the 



