﻿448 
  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  "Vj 
  

  

  the 
  mountain 
  valleys 
  about 
  the 
  sources 
  of 
  the 
  Snake 
  River, 
  says 
  he 
  

   " 
  saw 
  no 
  diiierence 
  in 
  the 
  skulls, 
  indicating 
  a 
  different 
  species, 
  or 
  

   'mountain 
  buffalo' 
  of 
  hunters."* 
  The 
  bisons 
  formerly 
  living 
  in 
  the 
  

   parks 
  and 
  vallovs 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Eocky 
  Mountain 
  chain 
  

   doubtless 
  did 
  often 
  grow 
  to 
  a 
  larger 
  size 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  plains, 
  with 
  

   rather 
  larger 
  horns, 
  and, 
  being 
  less 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  bleaching 
  effects 
  

   of 
  the 
  elements 
  in 
  their 
  partially 
  wooded 
  retreats, 
  would 
  naturally 
  have 
  

   a 
  darker 
  and 
  perhaiDS 
  softer 
  pelage. 
  The 
  weathered 
  bison 
  skulls 
  I 
  met 
  

   with 
  in 
  1871 
  i»n 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  South 
  Park 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  

   t»ee-limit 
  in 
  the 
  Snowy 
  Range 
  of 
  Colorado 
  were 
  certainly 
  larger, 
  in 
  the 
  

   average, 
  by 
  actual 
  measurement, 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Kansas 
  plains. 
  The 
  

   small 
  b»inds 
  now 
  lingering 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  in 
  the 
  mountains, 
  and 
  now 
  ii 
  

   currently 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  mountain 
  buffalo, 
  may 
  be 
  in 
  part 
  the 
  remnants 
  f 
  ! 
  

   of 
  a 
  former 
  larger 
  mountain 
  form, 
  but 
  certainly 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  

   actually 
  recent 
  migrants 
  from 
  the 
  plains. 
  In 
  1871 
  I 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  trace 
  

   the 
  migration 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  band 
  up 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Platte 
  and 
  

   across 
  South 
  Park 
  to 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  so-called 
  Buffalo 
  Spring, 
  situ- 
  | 
  

   ated 
  considerably 
  to 
  the 
  southward 
  of 
  Fairplay. 
  Specimens 
  of 
  the 
  ■ 
  

   " 
  mountain 
  bison" 
  sent 
  in 
  a 
  fresh 
  state 
  from 
  Colorado 
  to 
  the 
  Smithso- 
  , 
  

   nian 
  Institution 
  during 
  the 
  present 
  winter 
  (December, 
  1875) 
  certainly 
  

   presented 
  no 
  appreciable 
  differences 
  from 
  winter 
  specimens 
  from 
  the 
  

   plains. 
  The 
  mountain 
  race 
  of 
  the 
  bison 
  was 
  apparently 
  a 
  little 
  larger 
  

   than 
  the 
  buffalo 
  of 
  the 
  plains, 
  and 
  doubtless 
  was 
  nearly 
  identical 
  with 
  , 
  

   the 
  race 
  known 
  farther 
  northward 
  as 
  the 
  " 
  wood 
  buffalo." 
  Their 
  more 
  

   sheltered 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  other 
  respects 
  somewhat 
  different 
  habitat 
  would 
  

   tend 
  to 
  develop 
  just 
  the 
  differences 
  claimed 
  to 
  distinguish 
  the 
  mountain 
  . 
  

   and 
  northern 
  woodland 
  race. 
  \ 
  

  

  Castrated 
  buffaloes 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  occasionally 
  met 
  with 
  where 
  the 
  , 
  

   buffaloes 
  are 
  abundant, 
  being 
  castrated 
  when 
  quite 
  young 
  by 
  hunters. 
  

   They 
  are 
  reported 
  to 
  attain 
  an 
  immense 
  size, 
  being 
  so 
  much 
  larger 
  than 
  

   the 
  others 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  conspicuous 
  from 
  their 
  large 
  size. 
  

  

  Belationship 
  to 
  the 
  Aurochs. 
  — 
  The 
  American 
  bison 
  is 
  a 
  little 
  smaller 
  

   than 
  the 
  aurochs 
  {Bison 
  bonasus), 
  with 
  a 
  much 
  larger 
  chest, 
  a 
  smaller 
  

   and 
  weaker 
  pelvis, 
  a 
  shorter 
  and 
  smaller 
  tail, 
  more 
  shaggy 
  head, 
  and 
  

   heavier 
  beard. 
  The 
  more 
  important 
  differences, 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  a 
  compari- 
  

   son 
  of 
  the 
  skeletons, 
  consists 
  in 
  the 
  chest 
  (see 
  subjoined 
  measurements, 
  , 
  

   Table 
  I) 
  in 
  Bison 
  americanus 
  being 
  absolutely 
  larger 
  than 
  in 
  Bison 
  bo- 
  \ 
  

   7iasus, 
  while 
  the 
  pelvis 
  is 
  very 
  small 
  and 
  weak. 
  The 
  B. 
  americanus 
  is 
  

   hence 
  greatly 
  developed 
  anteriorly, 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  thoracic 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   body, 
  with 
  the 
  pelvic 
  portion 
  disproportionately 
  reduced, 
  while 
  in 
  B. 
  bo- 
  , 
  

   wasMS 
  just 
  the 
  reverse 
  of 
  this 
  obtains 
  — 
  a 
  small 
  compressed 
  thorax 
  and 
  a 
  

   strong 
  heavy 
  pelvis. 
  This 
  gives 
  the 
  aurochs 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  standing 
  , 
  

   higher 
  on 
  its 
  legs. 
  The 
  dorsal 
  outline 
  is 
  about 
  equally 
  declined 
  poste- 
  [ 
  

   riorly 
  in 
  each 
  species, 
  not 
  relatively 
  much 
  more 
  declined 
  in 
  B. 
  ameri- 
  i 
  

   canuSf 
  as 
  generally 
  stated. 
  Neither 
  does 
  the 
  aurochs 
  possess 
  relatively 
  ; 
  

   longer 
  hind 
  limbs, 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  fore 
  limbs, 
  than 
  B. 
  americanus^ 
  

   the 
  proportion 
  being 
  essentially 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  the 
  two, 
  whether 
  the 
  total 
  * 
  

   height 
  of 
  the 
  animal 
  be 
  assumed 
  as 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  comparison, 
  or 
  whether 
  

   the 
  comparison 
  be 
  based 
  on 
  the 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  limbs 
  alone. 
  

  

  Comparing, 
  for 
  example, 
  a 
  fine 
  perfect 
  skeleton 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  old 
  j 
  

   male 
  of 
  each 
  species, 
  beautifully 
  and 
  correctly 
  mounted,! 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  i 
  

  

  *A 
  mer. 
  Nat., 
  Vol. 
  II, 
  p. 
  538, 
  18G8. 
  

  

  t 
  These 
  skeletons 
  are 
  Nos. 
  91 
  {Bison 
  americanus) 
  and 
  165 
  {Bison 
  honasus) 
  of 
  the 
  

   osteological 
  collection 
  of 
  the 
  Museum 
  of 
  Comparative 
  Zoology, 
  both 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  

   X)repare(i 
  and 
  mounted 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  persons, 
  under 
  the 
  supervision 
  

   of 
  ]?rof. 
  H. 
  A. 
  Ward, 
  of 
  Rochester, 
  and 
  represent 
  two 
  pieces 
  of 
  his 
  best 
  osteological 
  

   work, 
  which 
  is 
  justly 
  celebrated 
  lor 
  its 
  neatness 
  and 
  accuracy. 
  

  

  