44 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS, 



pies him to death with his feet and knees, tearing him 

 with his horns and teeth, and licking him with his rough 

 tongue, till the fkin is nearly ftripped from the body. — 

 The following accurate description we owe to the fame 

 author : — The length of the Buffalo, from head to tail, is 

 eight feet ; the height five and a half ; and the fore legs 

 two feet and a half long: From the tip of the muzzle to 

 the horns, twenty-two inches : His limbs, in proportion 

 to his fize, are much ftouter than thofe of the Ox ; his* 

 fetlocks likewife hang nearer the ground : The horns are 

 fingular, both in their form and pofition ; the bafes of 

 them are thirteen inches broad, and only an inch diftant 

 from each other, having a narrow channel or furrow be- 

 tween them ; from this furrow, the horns affume a fphe- 

 rical form, extending over a great part of the head ; the 

 diftance between the points is often above five feet : The 

 ears are a foot long, fomewhat pendulous, and in a great 

 meafure covered and defended by the lower edges of the 

 horns, which bend down on each fide, forming a curve 

 upwards with the points : Their hair is of a dark-brown 

 colour, about an inch long, harm, and, upon thofe males 

 that are advanced in years, draggling and thin, efpecially 

 on each fide of the belly, v/hich gives them the appear- 

 ance of being girt with a belt: They frequently., roll 

 themfelves in the mire, of which they are very fond : 

 The tail is fhort, and tufted at the end : The eyes are 

 large, and fomewhat funk within their prominent orbits, 

 which are almofl covered with the bafes of the horns 

 overhanging its dangling ears ; this, with a peculiar in- 

 clination of the head to one fide, which is its ufual man- 

 ner, produces an afpe£t at once fierce, cunning, and tre- 

 mendous: The flefh is coarfe, rather lean, but full of 

 juice of a high, but not unpleafant flavour : The hide is 



