298 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Type locality. Texas. 



Faunal position. Boreal, transition and austral zones. 



Habitat. Plains, prairies and forests. 



Distribution in New York. The bison, exterminated in this state be- 

 fore the beginning of the present century, probably occurred throughout 

 western New York, east at least as far as Syracuse. 



Principal records. De Kay, "The bison, or American buffalo, has 

 been long extirpated from this state ; and although it is not at present 

 found east of the Mississippi, yet there is abundant testimony from vari- 

 ous writers to show that this animal was formerly numerous along the 

 Atlantic coast from New York to Mexico" ('42, p. no). f 



Allen, " The occurrence of a stream in western New York called 

 Buffalo creek which empties into the eastern end of Lake Erie, is 

 commonly viewed as traditional evidence of its occurrence at this 

 point, but positive testimony to this effect has thus far escaped me. 

 This locality, if it [the bison] actually came so far eastward, must have 

 formed the eastern limit of its range along the lakes. I have found 

 only highly questionable allusions to the occurrence of buffaloes along 

 the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Keating, on the authority of 

 Calhoun, however, has cited a passage from Morton's ' New English 

 Canaan ' as proof of their former existence in the neighborhood of this 

 lake. Morton's statement is based on Indian reports, and the context 

 gives sufficient evidence of the general vagueness of his knowledge of 

 the region of which he was speaking . . . The extreme northeastern limit 

 of the former range of the buffalo seems to have been as above stated in 

 western New York, near the eastern end of Lake Erie. That it probably 

 ranged thus far, there is fair evidence " ('76. p. 107). 



Hornaday. In his paper on the extermination of the American bison 

 ('89, p. 3S5-S6) Mr Hornaday repeats Dr Allen's statements concerning 

 the former range of the bison in New York, but is able to add no 

 further information. Under date of January 12, 1898, he writes me, 

 " Since the publication of this memoir I have obtained what I consider 

 perfectly reliable evidence that bison herds formerly visited the salt 

 akes in the vicinity of Syracuse, and you are at liberty to mention the 

 fact if you choose. I have not yet published the details, but intend to 

 do so soon." 



In reply to my inquiry concerning the former status of the bison 

 in western New York, Hon. David F. Day of Buffalo replied as follow?, 

 "As to the occurrence of the bison in this state I can only say that, so 

 far as my reading extends, the animal is not mentioned as an inhabitant 



