248 The Lordly Buffalo. 



the vast majority of the individuals were utterly unable 

 to accommcdate themselves to the sudden and complete 

 change in the surrounding forces with which they had to 

 cope, and therefore died out ; while a very few of the 

 more active and wary, and of those most given to wander- 

 ing off into mountainous and out-of-the-way places, in each 

 generation survived, and among these the wariness con- 

 tinually increased, partly by personal experience, and still 

 more by inheriting an increasingly suspicious nature from 

 their ancestors. The sense of smell always was excellent 

 in the buffalo ; the sense of hearing becomes much quicker 

 in any woods animal than it is in one found on the plains ; 

 while in beasts of the forest the eyesight does not have to 

 be as keen as is necessary for their protection in open 

 country. On the mountains the hair grows longer and 

 denser, and the form rather more thickset. As a result, a 

 new race has been built up ; and we have an animal far 

 better fitted to " harmonize with the environment," to use 

 the scientific cant of the day. Unfortunately this race 

 has developed too late. With the settlement of the coun- 

 try it will also disappear, unless very stringent laws are 

 made for its protection ; but at least its existence will for 

 some years prevent the total extermination of the species 

 as a whole. It must be kept in mind that even this shyer 

 kind of buffalo has not got the keen senses of other large 

 game, such as moose ; and it is more easily followed and 

 much more keenly and eagerly sought after than would be 

 any other animal smaller and less valuable to the hunter 

 than itself. 



While the slaughter of the buffalo has been in places 



