vi INTRODUCTION. 



The material for the description of Bison amerieanus, and for its comparison 



with the aurochs (Bison lonasus), has, on the other hand, been nearly all that 

 could he desired, far exceeding that ever before brought together. To com- 

 plete, in a measure, the history of this species, several pages are devoted to 

 an account of its habits, based mainly on personal observation; while Part 

 II — embracing by far the greater part of the paper — has been devoted 

 entirely to the subject of its geographical distribution, including a history of 

 its extirpation from the greater part of its former vast habitat. As bearing 

 upon this general subject, a chapter has been devoted to an account of its 

 products, another to the means and methods used for its destruction, not only 

 by the different Indian tribes, hut also by white men, and a third to the few 

 attempts that have been made for its domestication. The preparation of this 

 part of the paper has been very time-taking, the necessary research having 

 absorbed the leisure time of many months. Although extended to so great 

 a length, it cannot be considered as an exhaustive essay on the subject, but 

 it is believed that the conclusions reached will not be much affected by 

 future investigations, though many important details respecting particular 

 districts may yet be added. 



The problem of the best manner of presenting the historical part of the 

 subject has offered many difficulties. I have, however, deemed it best to 

 give the data in full, at the risk of prolixity, rather than to briefly sum- 

 marize the facts, without giving the basis for the conclusions reached. I 

 have hence often made copious quotations, verbatim, instead of giving simple 

 references to authorities, thereby presenting in full whatever bears upon 

 tin' special points at issue. As a geographical arrangement of the matter 

 seemed clearest ami most logical 1 have adopted that method of presenta- 

 tion, dividing the ana under discussion into several minor geographical 

 regions. After stating in a somewhat general way the boundaries of the 

 habitat of the American bison at the time when the different regions of 

 the continent were first explored by Europeans (as indicated by the facta 

 presented in the pages which follow (, every portion of this boundary is after- 

 wards discussed in detail, since the original limits of its range iii different 

 directions has been more or less the subject of discrepant opinions h- 

 original limit U) the eastward has especially been a matter of dispute, or at 



least of conflicting statements, and to a less degree also its original limita- 

 tion to the southward and westward. Taking, for instance, that portion of 

 the United States east of the Mississippi River, — the first region treated in 



