Buffalo 265 



Texas and the Indian Territory, whence, the same instinct 

 acting on all, they are ready to start together on the northward 

 march as soon as spring starts the grass." 



To this Hornaday adds:^* "The herds which wintered 

 on the Montana ranges always went north in the early spring, 

 usually in March, so that, during the time the hunters were 

 hauling in the hides taken on the winter hunt, the ranges were 

 entirely deserted. It is equally certain, however, that a few 

 small bands remained in certain portions of Montana 

 throughout the summer. But the main body crossed the In- 

 ternational Boundary, and spent the summer on the Plains 

 of Saskatchewan, where they were hunted by the half- 

 breeds from the Red River Settlement and the Indians of the 

 Plains. It is my belief that in this movement nearly all the 

 Buffaloes of Montana and Dakota participated, and that 

 the herds which spent the summer in Dakota, where they 

 were annually hunted by the Red River half-breeds, came up 

 from Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska." 



Hind, the leader of the famous exploring expedition to 

 the Canadian Northwest in 1859, has left some valuable 

 records^^ as to the Buffalo movements, from which I have com- 

 piled the accompanying map (No. 12). It is remarkable that 

 the Saskatchewan herd should have wintered in its coldest 

 region. Probably the explanation is that this happened to 

 comprise the best feeding grounds. 



A. Henry's record given below shows that, in 1800, the 

 stream of migration both northward and southward, moved 

 parallel with and close to the Red River. The change to the 

 route near Turtle Mountain began about 1812, when the first 

 settlers came to Lord Selkirk's land grant, and it was directly 

 caused by the increase of hunters in the neighbourhood. 



There is only one sure way to determine the question of 

 migration, and that is by a series of observations made during 

 a number of years at one point where the Buffalo abounded. 

 Twenty years ago we should have said, "Too late for that," 

 but now the discovery of Alexander Henry's precious old 



'' Ext. Am. Bison, 1S89, p. 425. " Ass. & Sask. Expl. Exped., 1859, p. 106. 



