The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-01-24

event which mas probably more 10
do than any other with the promulgation of this
error was the famous hunt given by Charlemagne
TO the ambassadors OF Haroun-a Rashid in the
dank Hercyian woods that surrounded his hunt
ing lodge Heristallum. According to the original
account by the monk Eginhard OF St Gail, the
aurochs OF such terrorinsting appearance
10 the men from the east that they could not
even bear the sight of them, and fled from the
emperor's side. The latter attacked by the ierc-
est of these monsters missed the vital spot,
with the result that before brave lsambart could
slay it the emperor slightly wounded In the
thigh and had his neither garment torn into
shreds Rushing to his side. the assembled cour-
tiers offered to divert themselves OF their own
hose but the emperor laughingy rejected their
offers declaring that he intended TO shoW him
self in his sorry plight to the fair Hildegarde,
who was a great huntress herself Needless 10
say this adventure proved a mediaeval scoop
OF the gaudiest kind but in the course Of un-
numbered retellings the aurochs became WI
sent as was called the European bison, and since
that time a perpexing confusion has regned be-
tween these two animals. That the true aurochs,
which became extinct three hundred years ago,
was an entirely different animal from the bison,
whose name alas is also on the list of animals
about" to share the auroch's fate. is now a fact
known TO all scientific To the writer the
poor old bisons pathetic fate appeals more par
ticulary, for when shooting in the Rockies in
the seventies OF last century he still saw them In
herds of ten thousand. But the men who can
claim TO have seen the same marvellous sight
will before long follow these lordly inhabitants
of the wilds to the happy hunting grounds, the
study of the past history OF these two species
has for some people unusual attractions And
not the least interesting phase OF 1t is the col
lecting of pictures made at a time when both
beasts still roaming over the wastes OF
the EARTH" or had but recently disappeared.
OF the earliest of all pictures Of what was prob
ahl IN ba
Gle which recently appeared in an illustrated week
y. in which the roof pictures in the Altamira
Cave were reproduced, gave one a capital Idea
After a gap of untold centuries we reach the
various pictorial records left to us by the chs-
els gravers or brushes of the classic ages.
Among those who have made important dscov-
cries respecting the distribution OF the aurochs,
Professor Conrad Keller the well-known Zurich
zooogist, occupies prominent place. His dis
coveries in the ruins Of the ancient palace OF
King Minos in Crete OF fewer than sixteen
horn-cores and one skull Of what unquestionably
was the original wild OK Of Europe, or aurochs,
show that II lived there at one period, and that
the famous legend of the minotaur has a sub
stratum OF truth. From his pages we borrow an
Illustration Of an important fresco In Knossos de-
picting an aurochs in the act OF mpaling help
less-lookng victim, while bold bull-fghter is
actually turning a somersault over the back OF
the beast. a third possibly female lookeron at
tempting TO seize the bulls tail the scene being
probably enacted In an arena. IL is possible that
the Theseus story came from the slaughter OF
captives in such exhibitions. Several other pic
lures have been recently discovered which be-
long 10 the Minos period 1. e.. between 1000 and
1900 B. c. Professor Keller's highly instructive
writings contain many other Illustrations Of Bos
primifenius.
Skipping tens OF centuries. reach the Bes-
tiaries the most ancient OF which originated in
the period we touched az the outset when speak
ing OF Charlemagne's aurochshunt. These ex-
ceedingly primitive pictorial records do not add
much 20 our information: "the choice hurts one,
as Germans describe that state OF uncertainty IN
regard 10 what the monastic artists meant 20
represent by their crude attempts. Skipping a
few more centuries. we at last reach. In the be
ginning OF the fifteenth century fairly intelligent
accounts OF the animals habitat, and are fur.
nshed with drawings presenting features sufi-
ciently distinct to indicate. even 20 eyes accus-
toned TO Photographic accuracy the Identity Of
he animal the picture means 10 represent.
Very curious is the circumstance 10 which,
w the way nobody has so far drawn attention,
nat none OF the French sporting book Of the
urteenth and fifteenth centuries. such as Roy
'dus." Castor Phoebus." "Gace de y Buigne"
ID "Tontaine es-Guerin," mentions either the