BISON 



only in game reserves, zoological parks, or as privately owned 

 herds. 



Food. — Vegetation, principally grasses. 



Enemies. — ^Wolves, Grizzly Bears. 



Species and Subspecies of the Genus Bison 



Plains Bison. — Bison bison bison (Linn^us). 



As described. The common and most abundant race, with 

 an ancient range from about the Rio Grande north into 

 Alberta and Saskatchewan where it met the range of the 

 Wood Bison, and from the plains of the Columbia River as 

 far east as western New York. 



Wood Bison. — Bison bison athabascce Rhoads. 



Larger and darker in color than typical bison. Known only 

 from a section in Alackenzie, Canada, where a herd still 

 lives under essentially primitive conditions. These Bison 

 may be considered as the last remnant of the great original 

 herds. 



Eastern Bison. — Bison bison pennsylvanicus (Shoemaker). 

 An extinct race apparently of the Wood Bison type, larger 

 and darker than the Plains Bison; said to be very black, 

 with short, crisp, curly hair, with some white about nose 

 and eyes, and stated to lack the hump ! Found in the forests 

 of Pennsylvania and north to Lakes Erie and Ontario and 

 the last were killed about 1800. 



The Bison is too well known to call for much comment in a 

 field book. It will be encountered today only as a park or 

 reservation mammal and most of us will see it only through a 

 fence. The few remaining wild Bison, the Wood Bison, are in 

 a remote and rather inaccessible part of Canada, A strong 

 public sentiment for the preservation of the Bison has been 

 aroused and it is likely that the species will continue to exist 

 indefinitely as a protected mammal, for it has done well in 

 recent years, so well, in fact, that the surplus animals are be- 

 ginning to be a problem. 



The cow Bison has usually one calf a year. 



Genus Ovibos ^ 

 Dentition: Incisors, f; Canines, -g; Premolars, |; Molars, | =32. 



^ For a full revision of this genus see J. A. Allen, Memoirs American 

 Museum of Natural History, New Series, Vol. I, Part IV, 1913. 



539 



