52 BIG-GAME SHOOTING IN UPPER BURMA 



body that it does not appear clumsy on the 

 living animal. The bison has a high dorsal 

 ridge, and this, taken together with a deep body 

 and massive limbs, gives the animal an appear- 

 ance of strength and vigour which his habits 

 do not belie. He appears to fall away somewhat 

 behind, it is true, owing to the dorsal ridge 

 ending abruptly halfway along the back ; but 

 his quarters are massive, with no suggestion 

 of weakness about them. A big bull stands 

 6 ft. at the withers, and occasionally a few 

 inches higher. There is something very im- 

 pressive about an old bull bison. In his way 

 he is as massive as an elephant is in his. Looking 

 at his enormous girth and huge limbs, it is 

 difficult to realise what an active beast a bison 

 really is. Weight for weight I don't suppose 

 he is heavier than a bull buffalo, but he certainly 

 strikes one as being a far nobler animal. His 

 horns are often disappointing. They are fre- 

 quently short in proportion to the huge skull. 

 Length, however, is not so important as girth. 

 This is the true test of a good head. In some 

 books the average horn measurement is put 

 down at 2 ft. 7 in., but this, I think, is well 

 above the average. I should call 27 in. a 

 good average head, with a girth of 18 in., or 

 over. Anything over 30 in. in length is a very 

 fine head. The horns of an old bull are always 

 well corrugated at the base, the indentations 



