American Big-Game Hunting 



the protection of the buffalo. The bill, how- 

 ever, was never signed by the President. 



During the last days of the buffalo, a re- 

 markable change took place in its form, and 

 this change is worthy of consideration by 

 naturalists, for it is an example of specializa- 

 tion — of development in one particular direc- 

 tion — which was due to a change in the en- 

 vironment of the species, and is interesting 

 because it was brought about in a very few 

 years, and indicates how rapidly, under favor- 

 ing conditions, such specialization may some- 

 times take place. 



This chansfe was noticed and commented on 

 by hunters who followed the northern buffalo, 

 as well as by those who assisted in the exter- 

 mination of the southern herd. The southern 

 hunters, however, averred that the "regular" 

 buffalo had disappeared — gone off some- 

 where — and that their place had been taken 

 by what they called the southern buffalo, a 

 race said to have come up from Mexico, and 

 characterized by longer legs and a longer, 

 lighter body than the buffalo of earlier years, 

 and which was also peculiar in that the animals 

 never became fat. Intelligent hunters of the 



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