92 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA 



part of India. I strongly suspect tliat the mucli greater 

 teiglits often given- have been taken from unfair measure- 

 ments. A common way is to take an oblique line from 

 the fore-foot to the top of the dorsal ridge, and follow the 

 curvatures of the body besides. In this way twenty-two 

 hands may doubtless be made out, but we might as well 

 measure the distance from nose to tail for the height as 

 this. 



At this season of the year (the winter months), the 

 bison are rutting, and they will be found collected in herds 

 numbering ten or twelve cows, with one bull in the prime 

 of life, and a few immature males, the remaining old bulls 

 being expelled to wander in pairs, or as solitary bachelors, 

 in sullen and disappointed mood. Very old bulls with 

 worn horns are almost always found alone, never, appar- 

 ently, rejoining the herd after being once beaten by a 

 younger rival. These solitary gentlemen wander about a 

 great deal ; while the herd, if undisturbed, wiU constantly 

 be found in the same neighbourhood. Each herd appears 

 to possess a tract of country tabooed to other herds ; and 

 in this are always included more than one stronghold, 

 where the density of the cover renders pursuit of them 

 hopeless. When frequently disturbed in and about one 

 of these, they make ofE at once to one of the others. 



As the hot season advances, and the springs in the 

 higher ranges dry up, the bison come lower down the 

 hills; and may even, if compelled by want of water, 

 come out into the forest on the plains, drinking from 

 the large rivers like other animals at that season. But 

 they are always ready to retreat to their mountain fast- 

 nesses when much disturbed; and as soon as the fall of 

 the rains has renewed the supply of water, and freshened 

 the grass in the higher hills, they retire again to their 

 favourite plateaux. At this season the cows begin to 

 calve, and separate a good deal, remaining for two or 

 three months secluded in some spot where grazing and 

 water are plentiful. The bulls and young cows are then 

 often found together in herds of six to ten, the oldest 

 bulls, however, always remaining alone. During the lulls 

 in the monsoon, a species of gadfly appears in the jungles, 



