American Buffalo 



made a roar that could be heard for several miles. In winter time the 

 herds migrated regularly to the Southern portion of their range. 



After reaching their winter pastures in the South they separated 

 more or less and returned North in the spring in scattered herds, 

 making their migration much less conspicuous. 



Their rate of travel was much faster than would naturally be 

 inferred from their lumbering appearance, and they seldom swerved 

 from their well-trodden "buffalo paths" for any obstacles. 



Rivers a mile wide, when free from ice, were plunged into and 

 crossed without hesitation; in winter, however, the combined weight 

 of the herd sometimes broke the ice beneath them and large numbers 

 were drowned at such times to feed the wolves and other prowlers 

 along the banks when the river broke up in spring freshets. 



The mating season was in the fall when the bisons occupied 

 their Southern feeding grounds, the pairs remained in company until 

 the spring when the cows went off by themselves to the most 

 sheltered spots they could find and gave birth to their calves. 



The latter grew rapidly and were soon able to follow the herd, 

 though still jealously guarded and defended from all dangers by their 

 mothers. 



The old bulls in the meanwhile had associated in droves by 

 themselves. 



In order to escape the attacks of the flies and other insects they 

 sought out muddy sloughs and shallow ponds where they could roll 

 and wallow to their hearts' content and emerge with their coats filled 

 and plastered over with clay which soon baked in the sun and formed 

 a hideous but most effective armour which would last for days. 



The mud-holes which the bisons made for themselves in this 

 manner hava always been known as "buffalo wallows" and are still to 

 be found in regions where the great beasts that made them have been 

 long extinct. 



While during the last few years of their existence buffaloes 

 became wary and realized to some extent the danger of close contact 

 with man, they were normally stupid to a degree. As Hornaday says: 

 " The buffalo was an animal of a rather low order of intelligence, and 

 his dullness of intellect was one of the important factors in his 

 phenomenally swift extermination. He was provokingly slow in 

 comprehending the existence and nature of the dangers that 

 threatened his life, and like the stupid brute that he was, would very 

 often stand quietly and see two or three score or even a hundred of 



69 



