CHAPTER V 
THE BUFFALO OR BISON 
Its PRESENT, Past, AND FUTURE 
Tue history of the buffalo in North America constitutes 
one of the greatest tragedies in animal life in historical 
times. The extent of its destruction appals one by its im- 
mensity when we consider the character of the animal. It 
would seem inconceivable that this, the largest of the wild 
fauna of our continent, should within the limits of the last 
century, be reduced from countless millions to the point of 
extermination. Formerly ranging over about one-third of 
the entire continent, it has been practically wiped out of 
existence except for small bands of so-called ‘‘wood bison,” 
now to be found in the region north of Peace River. That 
its disappearance was an inevitable result of the develop- 
ment of the country does not diminish the character of the 
tragedy. It is the greatest of all our wild animals, and un- 
doubtedly the most noble of its family in any part of the 
world. Now, it has practically disappeared from the face 
of the continent, and only by the foresight of the Canadian 
and United States Governments has it been prevented from 
becoming completely exterminated. The history of its dis- 
appearance and the most complete account we have of this 
noble member of our native fauna have been given by Horna- 
day in his memoir, ‘“‘The Extermination of the American 
Bison,” and it is from this work that I have taken most of 
the facts that I am about to give regarding its history. 
Its former range in North America, according to Horna- 
day, was as follows: ‘‘Starting almost at tide-water on the 
Atlantic coast, it extended westward through a vast tract 
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