THE BISON. 395 



That his supposition is correct ^is evident from the numerous 

 complaints so frequently seen in western newspapers at the 

 present day about the ravages committed on live-stock and 

 dogs by wolves which are forced by hunger, through the absence 

 of buffaloes and other wild animals, to hang about the more settled 

 districts of the country, and even in the desperation induced 

 by starvation to become dangerous to women and children, so 

 that a regular war of extermination is being waged against 

 them. 



The railway companies were considerable sufferers from the 

 damage the herds of buffaloes would cause their property. The 

 animals soon discovered that telegraph-poles were first-rate rub- 

 bing-posts, and the vigorous way they used them resulted every 

 now and then in hundreds of them being knocked down. It was 

 no use ornamenting the poles with nails, for to their tough hides 

 this only appeared to increase the pleasure they derived from the 

 operation . 



Even steamers on the rivers were • inconvenienced by them, for 

 on the Upper Missouri they often had to stop for hours to allow 

 herds swimming across to get out of the way. 



There are generally a pair of buffaloes on exhibition in the 

 gardens of the Zoological Society at the present day, but until 

 within a comparatively late period they were but rarely to be 

 found in any collection. 



Probably the first account of one of these animals being seen 

 in a captive state by a European was given by Cortes in his 

 description of Montezuma's menagerie which has already been 

 described. De Solis states that the Spaniard found "lions, 

 tigers, bears, and other of the savage kind which New Spaiji 

 produced, among which the greatest rarity was the Mexican 

 bull a wonderful composition of divers animals. It has crooked 

 shoulders, with a hunch on its back like a camel ; its flanks dry, 

 its tail large, and its neck covered with hair like a Hon. It is 

 cloven-footed, its head armed like that of a bull, which it re- 

 sembles in fierceness, with no less strength and agility." 



It is quite possible that specimens may have found their way to 

 Europe prior to this date, but no work we can find refers to the 



