UNIVERSITY ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM 



6 Great Nikitskaja Street 

 Moscow, Russia 



March 3, 1923 

 Martin S. Garretson, 

 Secretary American Bison Society, 

 o Union Avenue, 

 Clifton, New Jersey. 



Dear Sir: — I am deeply grateful to you for your kind informa- 

 tion pertaining to the American buffalo, and will try, to the best of 

 my ability to communicate the necessary information you require in 

 regard to the European bison. 



The few buffalo remaining in a wild state, are now only found 

 in Kaucasus (bison bonasus caucasicus satunin). In the territory near 

 ihe sources of the rivers Laba and Belaja there is a primitive forest 

 (where the killing of beasts was forbidden), in which by the last cal- 

 culation 14 buffalo were counted. Besides this, buffalo are on the 

 north of the Krasnaja Polana (South Coast of the Kaukasusl. 



The bison of the Belovejs (bison bonasus bonasus Linnaeus) are 

 living in a half wild state, numbering about 90 animals, on the estates 

 of the Prince of Pless, Oberschlesien, Germany. Besides this, a herd 

 of five head is found in Minskaja Goubernia. In Belovejskaji Pouscha 

 they are, probably, destroyed. 



I have no information about the European bison in West Europe, 

 but hope to receive some soon, and will then communicate them to you. 



I enclose the enumeration of the bison in Russia to January 1. 1923. 



Very truly yours, 



CONSTANTINE C. FlEROW. 



SUMMARY OF EUROPEAN BISON CENSUS FOR JANUARY 1, 1923 



1. Bison bonasus bonasus Linnaeus Males Females Total 



Askanija Nowa (South Russia) 12 3 



Peterboorgh Zoological Gardens 2 1 3 



Moscow Zoological Gardens 1 — 1 



Minskaja Goubetnija — • — 5 



Total 12 



2. Bison bonasus caucasicus Satunin 



Laba •• — — 14 



Kabarda — — 2 



South Coast — — 66 



Total in Kaukasus 82 



Total in Russia 94 



38 



