XVI JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS. 



tion of the exchanges. The service is not altogether satisfactory for lack of funds 

 to insure fast transportation. Reports and publications that should go promptly 

 are now compelled to wait because they are free freight. Nearly fifty years ago 

 some of the lines gave the Institution free transportation in the interest of "the dif- 

 fusion of knowledge." This was once well enough, but the result now is that Gov- 

 ernment publications, which were not contemplated in the original gift, have to wait 

 till there is room which can not be used for paid freight. It is doubtful economy. 



The United States Government, by treaty made at Brussels in 1886 and proclaimed 

 by the President in 1889, is under obligation to maintain an exchange bureau. A 

 treaty was also made at the same time for the immediate exchange of the parliamen- 

 tary proceedings of the countries concerned. For this no appropriation has been 

 made, though an estimate of the appropriation needed for the purpose, submitted 

 by me to the honorable the Secretary of State at his request, has been transmitted 

 by him in due form to Congress for action. 



NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 



Proceeding, the Secretary said : 



The park under the charge of the Regents is undoubtedly the finest natural site 

 for such a purpose in the immediate vicinity of any large capital, not only of this 

 country, but of Europe and the world. But comparatively little can be done under 

 an appropriation which is barely sufficient to police the park and keep alive and 

 safely house the animals there, without buying any new ones. 



The Regents will remember that the park was intended originally for a national 

 rather than for a local purpose, and that the prominent feature of it was to be the 

 preservation of our native fauna from extinction. I want to ask the attention of 

 the Regents, and especially of those who can influence legislation in Congress, to a 

 paragraph in the report, on page 30, which, it seems to me, ought to be known to 

 Congress, and to call out some measure to relieve this threatened extinction. It is 

 popularly supposed that the remnant of the great body of bison which once covered 

 this continent is in safety in the Yellowstone Park, under Government control, but 

 the herd there is being so rapidly depleted that unless some measures are taken it 

 is doubtful if any will be left at the end of the present year. There is a stockade 

 there, put up at the expense of the Zoological Park appropriation, to hold those to 

 be sent to Washington preparatory to their transportation. None have yet occupied 

 it ; but I think that unless the bison are transferred to this or to the Zoological Park 

 here, which has sufficient space for all that are left, the final extinction of all under 

 Government control, except the few already here, may be looked for in a few months 

 more. 



The Secretary here read the letter of Captain Anderson, the Super- 

 intendent of the Yellowstone Park, as follows : 



December 12, 1895. 



I can give you no definite information about the bison in the Hayden Valley, near 

 your corral. My scouting parties have reported the trails of several small bands 

 leading in that direction, but as the snowfall has been light they have not as yet 

 been driven to that narrow area. I do not expect to be able to get an accurate esti- 

 mate of their number before the latter part of January. I hope there are enough 

 remaining for a source of supply for your park, and if they can be inclosed the cost 

 of maintenance will be very small. 



The reports made through the newspapers of the slaughter of the bison recently 

 are, of course, much exaggerated, but, unfortunately, several have been hilled, I feel 

 pretty certain that ten were killed within the past four months. I have now in 

 custody in the guardhouse a man who was captured in possession of the scalps 

 of five. 



