THE EUMINANT OEDEE. 



273 



There are eight species in the Ox genus, viz., the American 

 Bison, the Musk Ox, the Cape Buffalo, the European Bison or 

 Auroch, the Yak, the Jungle Ox, the Buffalo, and the Com- 

 mon Ox. 



The Bison (Bison americanus), Fig. 104, is of a thick-set shape, 

 its croup and head are low and its withers very high ; its head 

 is short and large ; its horns are smaU, lateral, far apart, black, 

 and rounded. Its head, neck, and shoulders are covered with 



Fig. lOi.— Tlie American Bison. (^Taurus mexicanus, Hernandez.) 



thick, curly, dark brown wool, which becomes very long in 

 winter. The rest of its body is, on the contrary, covered with 

 a short dark brown coat. Its tail is short, and terminated by a 

 tuft of long hair. 



This immense animal inhabits aU parts of North America, 

 especially the plateaux on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. In the spring, herds of thousands of Bisons, crowded closely 

 together, make their way up from the south to the north of these 

 vast steppes ; in the auti^mn they migrate again to the south. 

 When the summer comes, these wild troops break up, and the 

 Bisons separate into couples or small herds, guided by two or 



three old males. 



Bisons are not ferocious in their nature ; they seldom attack 

 Man, but will defend themselves when wounded; they then 

 become formidable adversaries, for their enormous heads, weU 



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