174 THE OX FAMILY 



loes in the land where I had for days at a time seen 

 the vast herds grazing peacefully like cattle on the 

 plains. 



The total number of buffaloes in Canada was re- 

 ported to be 600 (pure blood running wild), and sixty- 

 nine held in captivity. The rest of the world was 

 estimated to have 128 of our bison, all, of course, in 

 captivity. 



The figures given are believed to be very accurate. 

 The superintendent of the National Park said there 

 might possibly be thirty animals there, but they had 

 been able to find and count only the number given 

 above. The bison running wild in the United States 

 were reported as rapidly diminishing in numbers, 

 while those being domesticated or in captivity under 

 proper climatic and other conditions appeared to be 

 increasing in numbers. Most of the animals in cap- 

 tivity are owned by persons, firms, or corporations. 

 Some are exported ; some killed for their hides or 

 heads, which are valuable. 



Much other information of interest to sportsmen 

 was collected by the Secretary of the Interior and 

 appears in the numerous letters from the governors 

 of the States and from those persons interested in 

 breeding and preserving the animals. There is much 

 that is surprising. There are, for example, a number 

 of individuals and firms who owmi more bison than 

 there are running wild in the entire country. There 

 are many who own more than there are in the Na- 

 tional Park. One shooting-club (the Blue Mountain 

 Forest Game Club) has on its game-preserve in New 

 Hampshire about ten times as many bison as were re- 



