THIRTEENTH ORDINARY MEETING. 115 



What destroyed them in that short interval 1 The answer is not 

 difficult to seek — deep snow ! The buffalo grazes on the grass, the 

 moose browses on the tall willows. During one winter of excep- 

 tionally deep snow, eighty buffaloes were killed in a single day in the 

 vicinity of Dunvegan. The Indians ran them into the snow-drifts, 

 and then despatched them with knives. ' 



It is still a matter of dispute whether the Wood Buffalo is the same 

 species as his namesake of the southern plains ; but, it is generally 

 believed by the Indians that he is of a kindi'ed race. He is, never- 

 theless, larger, darker and wilder ; and, although the northern land 

 in which he is still found abounds in open prairies and small plains, 

 he, nevertheless, seeks in preference the thickest woods. Whether 

 he be of the plain race or not, one thing is certain, — his habits vary 

 much from his southern cousin. The range of the Wood Buffalo is 

 much farther north than is generally believed. There are scattei'ed 

 herds, even now, on the banks of the Liard River, as far as sixty- 

 one degrees of north latitude. 



When Mignault left the Peace River in 1875, the Wood Buffalo 

 were plentiful in the country between Dunvegan and Great Slave 

 Lake, and the Liard and Arthabasca Rivers. In 1884, he heard 

 from a comrade, that they were then still common. 



The Indians, he said, call it Ah-thuk-ard Moos-toosh, and consider 

 it quite distinct from the Prairie Buffalo, which they call Mas- 

 Kootay Moos-toosh. 



Its general habits differ a good deal irom those of its prairie 

 relative, rather resembling those of the Moose, although it is much 

 less wary and difficult to approach than that animal. 



It is rarely found in herds, except in the fall. The greatest num- 

 ber my informant ever saw together was three. These were going 

 down to the river, as he rounded a point in a barge. As soon as he 

 came in vie\*', they scrambled up the bank and disappeared in the 

 woods. But in the month of October, the mating season, they are 

 inclined to gather into straggling bands of both sexes, and go roam- 

 ing about the woods, which are made to resound continually with 

 the thud and trampling of the males engaged in battle. 



During the winter they confine themselves to the heaviest and 

 densest timber, subsisting on willow scrub, moss, and such dry grass 

 as is attainable. In the summer they are so much persecuted by 

 the bull-dog flies, that they spend the greater part of warm days 



