The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-01-31

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mW@ HE differentiation between these
two animals is subject of unusual
III interest to the sportsman natural
list To trace the origin Of the
- popular misconception that the two
fc.-z.Yv.-.z)l I names are synonymous, mistake
In NklD il to which even some of our best
| S@IN3 known sportsmen of today must
III pMA plead guilty we, have to dive into
IT,. u...J the not always limpd depths Of
- early medieval history. For the
event which has probably more to
do than any other with the PRONUNCIATION OF this
error was the famous hunt given by Charlemagne
to the ambassadors of Haroun- al-Rashid in the
dank Hercyian woods that surrounded his hunt
ing lodge, Heristallum. According to the original
account by the monk Eginhard OF ST. Gall, the
aurochs were of such terrorinstilling appearance
to the men from the east that they could not
even bear the sight of them, and fed from the
emperor's side The latter attacked by the ferc-
est of these monsters, missed the vital spot
with the result that before brave Isambart could
slay it the emperor slightly wounded in the
thigh and had his neither garment torn into
shreds Rushing to his side, the assembled
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 TO
say this adventure proved a medieval scoop"
of the gaudiest kind but in the course OF IN
numbered retellings the aurochs became a wi
sent as was called the European bison. and since
that time perplexing 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 fact
known to all scientific men. To the writer the
poor old bison's pathetic fate appeals more par
ticularly, for when shooting in the Rockies in
the seventies of last century he still saw them in
herds of ten thousand. But as the men who can
claim to have 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 it is the col
lecting of pictures made at a time wnen DOM
beasts were still roaming over the wastes OF
the earth" or had but recently disappeared
OF the earliest Of all pictures of what was prob
ably meant to be the bison, an interesting arti-
Gle which recently appeared in an illustrated week
~ in which the roof pictures In the AItamlra
Cave were reproduced. gave one capital Idea
y After a gap of untold centuries We reach the
various pictorial records left to us by the ems
els gravers or brushes Of the classic ages
Among those who have made important discov-
cries respecting the Distribution OIL lne duiOSho,
Professor Conrad Keller, the wellknown Zuricn
xoologist occupies a prominent place. His ais
coyeries In the ruins OF the ancient palace OF
King Mnos in Crete of no fewer than sixteen
horr-cores and one skull of what unquestionaoy
was the original wild or Of Europe, or aurocns'
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-
melting an aurochs in the act OF tmpallng nelp-
less-looking victim, while bold oultnghter Is
raetuaIly turning a somersault over the BACK OF
tha beast a third possibly female, looker-on at
tempting to seize the bulls TAIL the scene being
probably enacted in an arena II is possible that
The Theseus story came from the slaughter OF
cant,ves in such exhibitions. Several other pic
tures have been recently discovered which be
long to the Minos period, T. e., between 1000 and
1900 B. c. Professor Keller's highly Instructive
writings contain many other Illustrations OF Bos
primifenius.
spinning tens OF centuries. we reach the Bes
t,ar,es the most ancient of which originated In
the period we touched at the outset when speak
ing OF Charlemagnes aurochs-hunt Tnese eh
ceedingiy primitive pictorial records DO not aoo
mucb 70 our information: "the choice hurts one,
- Csrmaps describe that state OF uncertainty IN
regard TO what the monastic artists meant &c
represent by their crude attempts. Skipping
few more centuries, at last reach IN the De
ginning OF the fifteenth century fairly inteiiigen
accounts OF the animals habitat, and are tur
ntshad with drawings presenting features sum
c,sntIv distinct to indicate. even to eyes accus
TONED to Photographic accuracy, the identity
the animal the picture means to represent
Very curious Is the circumstance. to which
by the way nobody has so far drawn attehuoh
that none OF the French sporting books OF I'M
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, sueh as no;
Modus" Castor Phoehus, GAGE de Ia nuishe
and "Fontaines-Guerin" mentions either IN