In spite of its name this Arctic ruminant has no near affinity with the members of the ox tribe, the cheek teeth being more like those of the sheep and goats, the muzzle, except for a small strip between the nostrils, hairy, and the tail reduced to a mere stump concealed among the long hair of the hind quarters. On the other hand, the resemblance to the sheep is not very close, the horns, which in old males nearly meet in the middle line of the forehead, being of a totally different form and structure, and the skull likewise very distinct. In the males the horns are much flattened and expanded at the bases, after which they are bent suddenly down behind the eyes, to curve upward at the tips. In the females they are much smaller, less expanded, and not approximated at their bases. In both sexes their texture is coarse and fibrous, and their color yellow. The long coat of dark brown hair, depending from the back and sides like a mantle, affords an adequate protection against the rigors of an Arctic winter; and the broad, spreading hoofs, with hair on their under surface, give a firm foothold on snow and ice. Two races are known—the typical Canadian and the Greenland (O. moschatus wardi). The latter is characterized by the presence of a certain amount of white on the forehead and the smaller expansion of the horns. Height at shoulder about 4 feet; weight of one weighed in parts, 579 pounds (D. T. Hanbury).
Distribution.—Arctic America, approximately north and east of a line drawn from the mouth of the Mackenzie River to Fort Churchill on Hudson Bay, Greenland, and Grinnell Land, in latitude 32° 27´; approximate southern limit, latitude 40° N.
| Length on Outside Curve | Breadth of Palm | Tip to Tip | Locality | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30¼ | 13¾ | 30¼ | ? | W. W. Hart |
| 27¾ | 10 | 27½ | Barren grounds of northern Canada | David T. Hanbury |
| —27½ | 11¾ | 23 | Barren grounds of northern Canada | Caspar Whitney |
| 27¼ | 12½ | 27 | Barren grounds of northern Canada | Earl of Lonsdale |
| —27¼ | 10⅝ | 27½ | Barren grounds of northern Canada | Imperial Museum, Vienna |
| 26⅞ | 11 | 27 | Barren grounds of northern Canada | Warburton Pike |
| 26¾ | 12⅜ | .. | North America | British Museum (J. Rae) |
| 26¼ | 13⅛ | 27⅝ | North America | British Museum |
| —25⅝ | 10 | 25 | North America | Dr. Albert von Stephani |
| 24¾ | 11 | 25½ | Barren grounds | Warburton Pike |
| 24¼ | 7½ | 19 | Barren grounds | J. Talbot Clifton |
| 24¼ | 10½ | 26 | Barren grounds | Hon. Walter Rothschild |
| 24 | 9¾ | 23⅛ | North America | Sir Edmund G. Loder, Bart. |
| —24 | .. | 25 | ? | Major W. Anstruther Thomson |
| 23¼ | 6 | 22¾ | ? | A. Barclay Walker |
| —21½ | 9 | 27 | ? | Dublin Museum |
| —♀21⅛ | 4¾ | 20⅝ | ? | Imperial Museum, Vienna |
| ♀18⅝ | 4¼ | .. | North America | British Museum (A. G. Dallas) |
| ♀17 | 4⅝ | 9⅞ | North America | Dr. Albert von Stephani |
| MUSK-OX (Ovibos moschatus wardi) | ||||
| 24¾ | 8¼ | 22½ | Greenland | Rowland Ward |
| 24½ | 7¼ | 27 | Greenland | Rowland Ward |
THE BISON
By George Bird Grinnell
