12 



NA TURE 



[May I, 1890 



more than equalled the total number of buffalo in this 

 country forty years ago." As an instance of these 

 enormous numbers, it appears that, in the early part of 

 the year 1871, Colonel R. I. Dodge, when passing through 

 the great herd on the Arkansas, and reckoning that there 

 were some fifteen or twenty individuals to the acre, states 

 from his own observations that it was not less than 25 

 miles wide and 50 miles deep. This, however, was the 

 last of the great herds ; and Mr. Hornaday estimates that 

 the number of individuals comprising it could not be 

 reckoned as less than four millions. Many writers at 

 and about the date mentioned speak of the plains being 

 absolutely black with bison as far as the eye could reach ; 

 and Mr. W. Blackmore tells of passing through a herd for 

 a distance of upwards of 120 miles right on end, in travel- 

 ling on the Kansas Pacific Railroad. Frequently, indeed, 

 trains on that line were derailed in attempting to pass 

 through herds of bison, until the drivers learned that it 

 was advisable to bring their engines to a standstill when 

 they found the line blocked in this manner. Plate III. 

 gives a graphic illustration of a train halted as it reaches 

 the border of a herd of bison. 



In the fourth section of the part under notice, 

 we have a full description of the general characters 

 of the American bison, and the points by which 

 it is distinguished from its European congener, the 

 Lithuanian aurochs. In this connection we reproduce. 



Bull Bison in the National Museum at Washington. 



on a smaller scale, the author's figure of the bull bison 

 mounted in the United States National Museum, since he 

 tells us that many of the figures to be met with do not 

 give by any means a fair idea of the grand proportions of 

 the animal, being taken either from domesticated or from 

 badly-mounted specimens. The height of this bull is 

 upwards of 5 feet 8 inches at the withers. The author 

 remarks, however, that the specimens obtained by the 

 Smithsonian Expedition were above the average height, 

 since they were the fleetest and strongest examples of the 

 race, which had escaped from the slaughter of the great 

 herds by their endurance and speed. It is also remarked 

 that these bison were of extreme muscular development, 

 and showed no traces of the large amount of fat so cha- 

 racteristic of the members of the great herds when they 

 were comparatively undisturbed upon the open plains. 



The following sections treat of the habits, food, and 

 disposition of the bison— subjects into which we need not 

 enter on this occasion. In the eighth section we have a 

 full discussion as to the economic value of the bison, in 

 the course of which it is shown what a severe financial 

 loss the States have sustained in permitting its extermina- 

 tion. Some very interesting observations then follow as 

 to the number of herds or individuals of bison — either 

 pure or half-bred — now existing in captivity in various 

 parts of the States, and in other countries. From this 



it appears that on January i, 1889, there were 256 pure- 

 bred specimens known to be kept in captivity ; while 

 the herd of wild ones, protected by the United States 

 Government in the Yellowstone National Park, numbered 

 about 200. 



With the second and most interesting part we come to 

 the proper subject of the memoir— the actual extermina- 

 tion of the bison. The primary cause which has led to 

 this sad result is, of course, the spread of civilization — 

 and more especially railways — over the area formerly 

 sacred to the bison and a few Indians. But as secondary 

 causes the author mentions the utterly wanton and reck- 

 less way in which the unfortunate animals were shot 

 down for the sake merely of their hides or tongues ; the 

 want of protective legislation on the part of the Govern- 

 ment ; the preference for the flesh and skin of cows ; the 

 marvellous stupidity and indifference to man of the 

 animals themselves ; and the perfection of modern fire- 

 arms. 



Amonir the methods of slaughter the so-called " still- 

 hunt," where the hunter creeps up to a herd and 

 shoots one after another of its members, appears to 

 be one of the most deadly, owing to the crass stu- 

 pidity of the animals themselves. The plan adopted 

 was first to shoot the leader, when the remainder would 

 come and stupidly smell round the body, till another 

 animal assumed the post of leader, and was shot down 

 when it was about to make a move ; the same process 

 being repeated almost without end. Riding down, sur- 

 rounding, impounding, or hunting in snow-shoes, were, 

 however, other equally effective methods of destruction. 



It is stated that, in spite of the merciless war which had 

 been in a desultory manner incessantly waged against the 

 bison, both by whites and Indians, for over a century, and 

 the consequent gradual restriction of its area, it is certain 

 that there were several million head alive as late as 1870. 

 The period of desultory destruction may be roughly 

 reckoned as extending from 1730 to 1830. During that 

 time the bison had been completely driven away from the 

 Eastern United States, and also from the districts lying 

 to the west of the Rockies (where it had never been very 

 numerous) ; and the area had thus become practically 

 restricted to that inclosed by the broken line on the map. 



From 1830 to 1888 is reckoned as the period of or- 

 ganized and systematic slaughter for the sake of the 

 skin and flesh ; and the author does not measure the 

 terms he employs with reference to the supineness of 

 the Government during this period. He gives a detailed 

 account of the various expeditions which were steadily 

 playing upon the great herd occupying the area indicated 

 on the map ; and the gradually increasing demand for 

 " buffalo-robes." The real beginning of the end was, 

 however, the completion in 1869 of the Union Pacific 

 Railway, which completely cut the bison area in twain, 

 and divided the great herd into a southern and a northern 

 moiety. 



The history of the southern herd is very short. Its 

 central point was somewhere about the site of the present 

 Garden City in Kansas ; and although its area was much 

 less than that occupied by the northern herd, it probably 

 contained twice as many animals, the estimated number 

 of individuals in 1871 being not less than three millions, 

 and probably nearer four. The completion of the Kansas 

 branch of the Union Pacific in 1871, which ran right 

 through the head-quarters of the southern herd, was the 

 immediate cause of its destruction ; and we are told that 

 the chief slaughter, which began in 1871, attained its 

 height in 1873. So wanton and wasteful, indeed, was the 

 destruction during this period that it is said that every 

 single hide sent to market represented four individuals 

 slain ; and the description given by the author on p. 496 

 of the condition of the country owing to this frightful 

 slaughter is almost sickening. The author observes that 

 " it is making a safe estimate to say that probably no 



