124 T^he Bison 



hand, there are many which are closely similar to 

 that species. 



The range of the buffalo to the west of the 

 Rocky Mountains began to contract not very 

 long after the narrowing of its range on the 

 east. The earlier explorers in the West, from 

 Pike downward, report buffalo in abundance. 

 Yet, as already stated, the westernmost point at 

 which their remains have been found is among 

 the foot-hills of the eastern side of the Blue 

 Mountains of Oregon. In 1836, it is reported, 

 buffalo were abundant in Salt Lake Valley, but 

 there nearly all were soon afterward destroyed 

 by deep snows, which covered the ground for a 

 long period of time. This corresponds well with 

 statements made to me by John Robinson, better 

 known in early days as Uncle Jack Robinson, 

 one of the old-time trappers, who died between 

 1870 and 1880. In 1870 he told me that the 

 buffalo on the tributaries of the Green River and 

 on the Laramie Plains had all perished nearly 

 forty years before, during a winter when very 

 deep snows fell, followed by a thaw and subse- 

 quent cold, which crusted the snow so that the 

 buffalo could not get through it, and starved to 

 death. This statement was confirmed by the 



