8o The Ottawa Naturalist. [July 



and out on the further side, so terrific was the force of the 

 Indians' bow and so closely were the victims approached. The 

 colour of the calves is uniform, not spotted or striped, and is 

 much the same as that of the cows. The cow is invariably 

 smaller than the bull and lacks his sullen ferocity and massive 

 grandeur. Both sexes possess horns. The voice of the bull is 

 a deep sonorous bass call or growl, and in the distance, especially 

 when several bulls were bellowing together, it is said to have 

 resembled the roll of distant thunder. 



Among many traditions still current, old settlers have one 

 respecting the so-called " sharpening-places," i.e., low rocky cliffs 

 in the " coulees " or hollows of the prairie where the bulls were 

 said to rub their horns in spring in preparation for the pairing 

 period in August or September. The bulls were fierce fighters, 

 but this sharpening of the horns is probably a myth. I have, 

 however, several pairs of very thick old horns, which are quite 

 worn down by rubbing upon one side of each horn. Possibly 

 this rubbing was done when the buffalo rolled upon the ground, 

 a habit which was constantly indulged in, partly no doubt to 

 get rid of the flies, which annoy them just as they anncy the 

 caribou on the barren plains of the north. The tips of the horns 

 in old bulls, are often narrow and pointed at the tip, but very 

 thick, clumsy, and corrugated down to the base. 



All attempts to induce the buffalo to shelter in winter, or 

 even to lie down on beds of straw in the open air have failed at 

 Silver Heights. Straw was abundantly laid down for them in 

 winter, but they invariably preferred some place well covered 

 with snow, where they lay down and slept. 



While the extinction of the noble buffalo may be justifiably 

 deplored, it is questionable whether the western country could 

 have been settled, or crops profitably grown as long as their 

 immense herds roamed at will. Certainly man's ferocious bar- 

 barity and love of merciless slaughter would have continued so 

 long as any wild buffalo remained to be butchered. 



