IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. 143 



and lodged in, the Eoyal Botanical Gardens, Sibpur, on the other side 

 of the river. Here they lived happily and bred. The elder surviving 

 calf died after about a year and a half from the same disease. Two 

 years and seven months after their removal, the bantengs with the 

 remaining calf were brought back, but they all died during the course 

 of the next month and a half. It appears that the germ of the disease 

 had already entered into their system, and that it took such a long 

 time in developing was probably due to the change. 



Several gyals also have succumbed to the same disease. 



It has been observed that whenever there is a cattle plague in the 

 neighbourhood, the outbreak spreads itself in more or less severe form 

 among the cattle, sheep, and deer in the garden. 



Observations on their habits. 



Both the gyal and banteng are, as already mentioned, very 

 tractable animals, but they are all retiring, without being shy. Only 

 young gaurs have been exhibited here, and although one of them 

 attained a good size and proportion, it was never found to be fierce. This 

 was probably due to its having been brought up from infancy. The 

 perspiration of the gyal and gaur is phenomenal. No other animal has 

 been observed to perspire so profusely as do these animals. In the 

 gyal it is thick and hardens into minute pellets. 



(178) THE AMERICAN BISON. 

 (BISON AMEKICANUS— {Gmel.) ) 



A single female was obtained in December 1887, but it came in 

 such a sickly state that it did not survive long. 

 Hab. — North America. 



(179) THE YAK. 

 (POEPHAGUS G&UNNIENS— (Linn.) ) 



Hab. — The mountains of Central Asia and the higher regions of 

 Chinese Thibet. 



A pair of these animals were exhibited for a few days while 

 awaiting transmission to the Zoological Society's Garden, London. 

 Yaks are extremely intolerant of heat, and it is therefore better not 

 to attempt bringing them down to the plains. 



(180) THE CAPE BUFFALO. 



(BUBALUS CAFFER— {Sparr) ) 



It is smaller in size than the typical wild buffalo of India, which 

 is a gigantic animal ; the horns are short but very thick, and 



