55 



eastward into the Park in June, 1S71. They moved rapidly, and a 

 calf accompanying the herd becoming fatigued and lagging behind 



was captured. This I saw in the following August, at a ranch fifte< n 

 miles below Fairplay. It was apparently some ten or twelve wicks 

 old, and had already begun to turn dark colored. As recently as I8G2 

 the buffalo are said to have been abundant throughout South Park, 

 where their skulls and other bones are still everywhere frequently 

 met. with, as well as thence eastward throughout the smaller parks 

 and mountain valleys. It seems also to have wandered in summer to 

 above timber line on the Snowy Range, to feed on the grassy slopes 

 that occur above the limit of trees. We found its bleached skulls in 

 the Valley of the Platte, up to the extremest sources of the stream, 

 and Mr. Bennett met with them on Mt. Lincoln, far above timber line. 



The buffalo of the Parks and mountain valleys is said to differ from 

 the buffalo of the plains, and is hence generally distinguished as the 

 "Bison," or "Mountain Bison." Although this opinion is widely 

 entertained, the reports respecting the differences that distinguish 

 these two varieties are extremely varied and conflicting. Persons 

 claiming familiarity with both hold opposite opinions as to their 

 diversity, some failing to perceive any essential differences, while 

 others maintain that they differ so widely that they must be different 

 species. I found, however, that those whose experience with both 

 seemed to render them the most competent to judge were those who 

 placed the lowest estimate on their differences, while those who mag- 

 nified them most belonged to a class more or less prone to exaggera- 

 tion in matters of even trivial importance. The alleged differences 

 varied with almost every individual whose opinion in the matter was 

 consulted. The mountain buffalo is, however, generally regarded as 

 smaller than the buffalo of the plains, slenderer behind, but provided 

 with a larger hump, and with darker, finer and more abundant wool. 

 I found, however, that the skulls met with in South Park, and in the 

 valley of the South Plalte above Fairplay, averaged larger, by actual 

 measurement, than those of the plains, with stouter and considerably 

 longer and more spreading horns. The "mountain bison" is said 

 never to mix with the "buffalo" of the plains, the former being con- 

 fined exclusively to the mountains, and the latter to the plains. One 

 of my informants assured me that the mountain bison occurs in New 

 Mexico, and that the Mexicans and Indians recognize it as different 

 from the buffalo of the plains, with which they are also familiar, and 

 that they call it by a different name. 



lO. <JM is monfama. Rocky Mountain Sheen. Occasional, 

 but found chiefly on or near the Snowy Range, retiring in summer to 

 the most inaccessible parts of the mountains. Fresh "signs" were 



