CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Part I. — The life history of the bison 373 



I. Discovery of the species „ 373 



II. Geographical distribution 376 



III. Abundance 387 



IV. Character of the species 393 



1. The buffalo's rank amongst ruminants 393 



2. Change of form in captivity 394 



3. Mounted specimeus in museums 396 



4. The calf 396 



5. The yearling 401 



6. The spike bull 401 



7. The adult bull... 402 



8. The cow in the third year 406 



9. The adult cow 406 



10. The "Wood" or "Mountain Buffalo" 407 



11. The shedding of the winter pelage 412 



V. Habits of the buffalo 415 



VI. The food of the buffalo 426 



VII. Mental capacity and disposition of the buffalo 429 



VIII. Value to mankind 434 



IX. Economic value of the bison to Western cattle- growers 451 



1. The bison in captivity and domestication 451 



2. Need of an improvement in range cattle 452 



3. Character of the buffalo — domestic hybrid 454 



4. The bison as a beast of burden 457 



5. List of bison herds and individuals in captivity 458 



Part II. — The extermination 464 



I. Causes of the extermination 464 



II. Methods of slaughter 465 



1. The "stillhunt" 465 



2. The chase on horseback 470 



3. Impounding 478 



4. The surround 480 



5. Decoying and driving 483 



5. Hunting on snow-shoes 484 



III. Progress of the extermination 484 



A. The period of desultory destruction 484 



B. The period of systematic slaughter 486 



1. The Red River half-breeds 488 



2. The country of the Sioux 490 



3. Western railways, and their part in the extermination of the 



buffalo 490 



4. The division of the universal herd 492 



5. The destruction of the southern herd 492 



6. Statistics of the slaughter 498 



7. The destruction of the northern herd 502 



H. Mis. 600, pt. 2 24 369 



