BUFFALOES, WILD AND IN CAPTIVITY 5 
The American Buffalo 
THe AMERICAN Bison, or Burra.o.'—Because of its great 
size, imposing appearance, former abundance and value to 
mankind, this is the most celebrated of all American hoofed 
animals. Its practical extermination in a wild state is now a 
source of universal regret. In 1902 Congress took the first 
step toward its preservation from complete extinction, by 
appropriating $15,000 for the purpose of purchasing and 
establishing under fence, in the Yellowstone Park, a herd of 
captive Buffaloes. This undertaking was very wisely and ap- 
propriately placed in charge of the Department of Agriculture. 
At this date (1914) there are about 349 wild Buffaloes 
alive, of which about 300 inhabit a desolate and inhospitable 
region southwest of Great Slave Lake. In 1890, the Yellow- 
stone Park herd contained about three hundred head; but 
through inadequate protection and killing done by unprin- 
cipled poachers in quest of heads to sell, to-day only forty- 
nine head remain. The weakness of the efforts to protect 
that herd was a national disgrace. Through lack of sufficient 
laws and patrol service the poachers were permitted to rob 
the American people of a wild herd which no expenditure of 
money ever can replace. 
There were in captivity, in January, 1913, 2,907 pure- 
bred Buffaloes, and the number is steadily increasing. Of 
1A true “Buffalo” is an animal with no hump on its shoulders; and is found 
only in Africa and Asia. Our animal, having a high hump, is really a beson; but 
inasmuch as it is known to ninety-five millions of Americans as the “Buffalo,” 
it would be quite useless to attempt to bring about a universal change in its popular 
name. ‘There is but one living species. 
