NATURAL HISTORY.— MAMMALS 



231 



must have been an error as they were common throughout the 

 Mackenzie valley in the early part of this century upon the 

 advent of the traders. The Loucheux of the lower Mackenzie 

 have a tradition that the moose have migrated from the west- 

 ward. Three specimens, Grand Rapids. 



Bison Americanus Gmelin. Buffalo. 1 



The wood buffalo, or — to use a more exact term — woodland 

 bison, is described as larger and darker than the buffalo of the 

 plains; this I believe to be partly due to the fact that our 

 knowledge of the northern variety is based on the study of 

 skins taken at the most favorable season of the year and under 

 circumstances which would cause the largest animals to be 

 killed. The herd at present consists of a few hundred only. 

 They are so war)- that but one effective shot can be fired when 

 they betake themselves to instant flight, and, as with the moose, 

 pursuit is altogether futile. They cannot be hunted in summer 

 as the country which they inhabit is an impenetrable, mosquito- 

 infested, wooded swamp at that season. The Little Buffalo 

 River is unfit for navigation and the lakes and ponds cannot be 

 utilized as water routes. They can only be killed by stalking 

 in midwinter when their pelage is at its best. 



There is an abundance of grass on the "little prairies" and 

 on the borders of the small lakes which everywhere abound; 

 this, of course, must be uncovered by the buffalo in winter as 

 they do not browse. Ogilvie states 2 that twenty-eight years ago 

 a heavy fall of rain in one of the winter months saturated the 

 snow, which formed a heavy crust of ice and prevented the 

 buffaloes from grazing, which resulted in their almost complete 

 extermination. 



The Indians along the Peace and Slave Rivers make occa- 

 sional trips into the buffalo country with dog teams to establish 

 lines of marten traps. When they discover a band of buffaloes 

 they of course kill as many as they can, but they have not 

 made systematic efforts to hunt them for their robes, as they have 

 the musk-ox. Fortunately, the officers of the Company have 

 exerted their influence toward the preservation of the buffalo, 

 not trading for the robes, until the recent advent of rival traders. 



1 For description of buffalo hunt, see p. 100, ante. 



s Ogilvie, William, Ann. Rep. Geo. of Canada, Vol. — , p. 39. 



