NORTH AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES 343 



in different areas would be the wisest way to build up a stock 

 of these animals. In 1905 the American Bison Society was 

 founded, starting with a group of 16 public-spirited citizens 

 who saw the need for steps being taken if the bison was not to 

 become endangered. The story of its work in establishing at 

 various suitable places small herds as nuclei, and thus building 

 up a sufficient population so that the species would no longer 

 be in danger, has been graphically told by Garretson (1938). 

 The effectiveness of these efforts is evident from the table 

 published by the latter, showing that in 1889 the total popu- 

 lation of bison in existence was placed at 1,091 but by 1933 

 had been built up to well over 21,000, of which the greater part 

 (17,043) were in Canada. There are now some 121 small herds 

 in 41 States totaling 4,404 animals. Thus the species seems 

 no longer in danger of vanishing from the face of the earth, 

 but there is good assurance that in suitable places and under 

 supervision sufficient numbers may be maintained under fence 

 to make certain of its preservation. 



From a practical point of view, bison were formerly the main 

 source of meat for many of the Plains Indians, as well as for 

 the early settlers in certain regions. Their later exploitation 

 by hunters was no doubt largely unnecessary, yet one should 

 not lay too great a blame upon the shoulders of those who, in 

 the presence of seemingly unbounded stores of animals, made 

 use of them for their own gain. For as yet the needs of "con- 

 servation" had not been made obvious. 



Experiments have from time to time been made in crossing 

 the bison with domestic cattle, but although the resulting 

 "cattaloes" possess certain desirable qualities, it does not 

 appear that the hybrids have proved popular with agricul- 

 turalists. 



One of the largest of the protected herds has been that 

 maintained at Buffalo National Park at Wainwright, Alberta. 

 Its numbers were lately estimated at about 3,000 head, and in 

 addition on the reserve were nearly half as many wapiti, as 

 well as numbers of deer and moose, together with some im- 

 ported yak from Tibet. Now, 1940, as a late development of 

 the war in Europe, comes word that this national park must 

 be utilized for other purposes, which according to rumor, 

 include the training of aviators, and the animals must be 

 cleared from the area. According to a quotation in Science 



