THE RUMINANT ORDER. 
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 small, lateral, far apart, black, 
and rounded. Its head, neck, and shoulders are covered with 
Fig. 104. — The 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. f 
This immense animal inhabits all parts of North America, 
especially the plateaux on the eastern slopes of the Bocky 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 autumn 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, well 
T 
