CHAPTER III.

ARTIODACTYLA--RUMINANTIA:

BOVIDÆ (_concluded_)--OXEN, PRONGHORN ANTELOPE, MUSK [DEER], AND GIRAFFE.

THE NYL-GHAU--Description--Habits--THE MUSK OX--Difficulties in associating it--Distribution--Habits--THE OX--Chillingham Wild Cattle--Their Habits--Domestic Cattle--The Collings, Booth, and Bates Strains--American Breeding--Shorthorns, and other Breeds--Hungarian Oxen--Zebu--Gour--Gayal--Curious mode of Capturing Gayals--Banting--THE BISONS--Description--European Bison, or Aurochs--Almost extinct--Cæsar’s Description of it--American Bison--Distribution--Mythical Notions regarding it--Their Ferocity and Stupidity--“Buffalo” Flesh--THE YAK--Habits--THE BUFFALOES--Varieties--Description--Fight between two Bulls--THE ANOA--THE PRONGHORN ANTELOPE--Peculiarity as to its Horns and Skull--Professor Baird’s and Mr. Bartlett’s Independent Discovery of the Annual Shedding of the Horns--Habits--Peculiarity about its Feet--Colour--Difficulties as to its Position--THE MUSK [DEER]--Its Perfume--Where is it to be placed?--Description--Habits--Hunters for the Perfume--Their Sufferings--THE GIRAFFE--Peculiarities--Skull processes--Its Neck--Habitat--Running power--Habits--Hunting 29