BISON, a name given by the ancients to an animal of the same genus with the ox (q.v.), still called the 13., or the European B. (bos bison of some naturalists, bos 'U7118 of others) also known as the aurochs (Germ., wild animal or wild ox). This animal at one time abounded in most parts of Europe, but is now found only in the forests of Molda via, Wallachia, Lithuania, and Caucasus. Herds of bisons, carefully protected by the emperor of Russia, and helieved to amount to about 800 in all, romun through the great forest of Bialowleza. in Lithuania. The B. differs from all varieties of the common ox, in the arched line of the back, which rises in a sudden elevation behind the neck; the hump which is formed not consisting, however, of mere fat, but in great part of the very thick and strong muscles which support the large head. It is remarkable for strength in the fore-parts, and trees of 5 or 0 in. in diameter cannot withstand time thrusts of old bulls. It is capable of repelling all the attacks of the wolf or bear, rushing upon, overthrowing, and then trampling an adversary. Its horns are short, tapering, very distant, spreading, a little, cmfrved inwards at the point. They are affixed not at the extremities of the most elevated salient line of the head, as in the ox, but considerably in front of it. The figure of the forehead differs also from that of the ox in its greater breadth, and in its convex profile. Another important anatomical difference is in the number of ribs, of which the B. has 14 pair, whilst the ox has only 13; and the vertebra: of the tail are fewer, being only 19 instead of 21. The hair of time forehead is long and shaggy; that under tl.c chin and oh the breast forms a sort of beat d: mind in winter the neck, hump, and shoulders are covered with long woolly hair, of a dusky brown color, intermingled with a short, sott. fawn-colored fur. This long hair is gmadmially cast in summer. The legs, back, and binder-parts are covered with short dark-Crown hair. The tail terminates in a large tuft. The females are not so large as the males, nor (10 they exhibit the same shagginess of the fore-parts. The 13. is the largest quadruped now
existing. in Europe, although within the historic period there appears to have existed along with it an ox exceeding it in size; and it appears to have been this ox, and not the 13., which was called urns (q.v.) by the ancients, although their bonamts (or bonamtrA) was probably the same with the bison.—The food of the II. consists of grass and brush wood, and the leaves and bark of young trees. Its cry is peculiar, " resembling a groan or a grunt, more than the lowing of an ox." It does not attain its full stature till after its sixth year, and lives for about 30 or 40 years. The period of gestation appears to be the same with that of the ox. The B. has never been reduced to sutjection by man, and the domestication even of individuals taken young, has been very partial. It gener ally shows a great aversion to time domestic ox. The common statement, however, that the B. calf invariably refuses to be suckled by time domestic cow, is contradicted on the excellent authority of the master of the imperial forests in the 'Russian government of Grodno.—Time erally very shy, and can 13. is gen only be approacheel.from the leeward, generally Its smell being very acute. It is easily provoked, and is not approached without danger. It runs.very swiftly, although it cannot long continue its flight, galloping with its head very low, so that the hoofs are raised higher than the head.
there is no historical evidence that the 13. ever existed in Britain; but remains of this, or of a very closely allied species, are found in pliocene fresh-water beds in several parts of England, as well as on the continent of Europe. The size of these 13. bones is, how ever, so great as of itself to cause a doubt of the identity of tie species, and the horns are longer in proportion. The fossil B. has been called bison. prixertx; axon being some naturalists separated as a genus from box, upon the ground eldetly of the osteologi cal differences in the head.