of Mr. Baynes, when it was possible to drive from the 

 mainland to the island. Mr. Dooly explained at length 

 the difficulties that confronted him. Being unable to 

 handle the matter at long range, we requested Mr. 

 Dooly to give us the name of any responsible man who 

 would be willing to enter into a contract with the Bison 

 Society to take the animals from his corral on Antelope 

 Island, crate them, transport them to the mainland, and 

 deliver them to an express company. Of late we have 

 not heard from Mr. Doolj^ regarding the matter. 



Mr. Philips was, for some reason, unable to ship his 

 two buffaloes last autumn, and it will be necessary to 

 arrange for their delivery during the coming spring. 



The following letter from the Honorable James 

 Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture, will be of general in- 

 terest to the members of the American Bison Society: — 



Department of Agriculture, 

 Office of the Secretary, Washington, D. C. 



Dr. W. T. Hornaday, 



President American Bison Society, 



185th St. and Southern Boulevard, New York. 



Dear Sir: My attention has just been called to the arrival at 

 Ravalli, Mont., on November 18 of the three buffalo, one bull and 

 two cows, generously contributed by the Blue Mountain Forest 

 Association through The American Bison Society for the herd on the 

 National Bison Range. With these additions to the 37 buffalo placed 

 on the reservation last year by your Society, and the 1 1 calves born 

 this year, the total number in the herd is now 51. I take this oppor- 

 tunity of expressing the appreciation of the Department, not only of 

 the magnificent contribution made by The American Bison Society, 

 but also of the far-sighted plan which the Society has so successfully 

 inaugurated for the perpetuation on the Flathead Reservation of a 

 herd of buffalo which in time will probably equal in size and im- 

 portance the Pablo herd recently purchased by Canada. 



The experience of the past year has shown that the National 

 Bison Range is admirably suited for the purposes for which it was 

 intended, and has demonstrated the wisdom of the selection of this 

 tract recommended by Professor M. J. Elrod in 1907 in his report to 

 your Society. 



The three Government herds of buffalo in the Yellowstone 

 National Park, the Wichita Game Preserve, and on the National 

 Bison Range, have during the brief time since their establishment 

 shown a gratifying increase, and are in excellent condition. These, 

 together with the numerous herds in private hands in the United 



