The Bison and Ox Family. 317 



ing the Indian Buffalo always carries its head low. It 

 loves the moist ground, and its broad feet prevent it from 

 sinking into the mud. 



The Common Buffalo has been domesticated in India, 

 and from there introduced into Greece, Italy and Hun- 

 gary. It is much more powerful {han the Ox, and although 

 in a wild state it is savage and dangerous and retains its 

 courage in captivity, it is very docile when domesticated. 

 It is much heavier than the Ox, and distinguished from 

 it by its spareely haired skin, long tufted tail, broad 

 muzzle and angulated horns. In India this animal gives 

 more milk than the ordinary cow, and from it the ghee — 

 the clarified butter of India — is made. The hides of the 

 Buffalos are valued where strength and durability are 

 desired. 



THE EUROPEAN BISON. 



The Gaur (Bos-gaurus), is a magnificent animal; but 

 just why it should have usurped the name of the European 

 Bison (Bos-bonasus), is as hard to understand as the 

 reason why the bison should so often be called Aurochs 

 (Bos-primigenius), a species of European Wild Ox, now 

 extinct, which was the progenitor of some of the existing 

 breeds of domestic cattle. 



The European Bison with its fourteen or fifteen pairs 

 of ribs, cylindrical horns, and short forehead, resembles 

 the Yak (Bos-grunniens) more than it does either the 

 Gaur or the Aurochs. It differs from the Yak in certain 

 cranical characteristics, as well as in the great excess in 

 height of the withers over the hind quarters, which pro- 

 duces a distinct hump on the shoulders, that is intensified 

 by the mass of dark brown hair, similar to that on the 

 American Bison but not so abundant, with which the head, 

 neck and shoulders are covered. The long hair is con- 

 tinued as a kind of crest along the back nearly to the root 

 of the tail, the remainder of the body being covered with 

 a short curly hair of a lighter tint ; its tail, unlike that of 

 the American Bison, is covered with hair the full length 

 and is tufted on the end. In many respects the European 

 Bison resembles the American species to which it is very 

 closely allied; but it has longer legs and a shorter body. 



