1841.] On Bos Gaurus. 585 



by the heat, or the grass consumed by fire, the single families, in 

 which they commonly range the hills, congregate into large herds, and 

 strike deep into the great woods and valleys ; but after the first show- 

 ers, and when verdure begins to re-appear, they again disperse, and 

 range about freely. In wet and windy weather, they again resort to 

 the valleys, to escape its inclemency, and also to avoid a species of fly 

 or gnat, which harasses them greatly. In the months of July and 

 August, they regularly descend to the plains, for the purpose of licking 

 the earth impregnated with natron or soda, which seems as essential to 

 their well-doing, as common salt is to the domestic animal when kep^t 

 in hilly tracts. 



The chief food of the Bison seems to be the following grasses and 

 plants : — 



Yadanjdn cody 



Vallaum pilloo A species of Sacharum^ used for thatch, 



Odeserengan pilloo 



The cottay woottoo leaf Ricinus Communis, Castor oil Plant. 



Mullum pilloo Anthystiria polystachia, Roxb. 



Canavum pilloo Sorghum muticum. Wild Cholum, 



Cheevum pilloo Broom grass, (AristidaJ. 



Cattoo Corangan leaf ...... /4 species of Convolvulus. Ipomcea 



Staphylina ? 

 but they will eat with avidity every species of grain commonly culti- 

 vated on the hills or plains, as the ryots find to their cost. The Bison 

 particularly is so fond of the avaray cottay {Bolichos Lahlaby Ainslie),* 

 when in blossom, that they will invade, and destroy fields of it, in 

 open daylight, in despite of any resistance the villagers can offer. In 

 other respects it is a very inoffensive animal, very rarely attacking any 

 one it encounters, except in the case of a single bull driven from the 

 herd. Such a one has occasionally been known to take up his location 

 in some deep bowery jungle, and deliberately quarter himself on the 

 cultivation of the adjacent villages. The villagers though ready to 

 assist Europeans in the slaughter of Bison, will not themselves destroy 

 them (the inviolability of the cow extending to the Bison) ; and so bold 

 does this freebooting animal become in consequence, that he has been 

 known to drive the ryots from the fields, and deliberately devour the 



* Country bean. 



