THE EXTERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN BISON. 169 



personal knowledge of the killing of one during the last two 

 years, though I have since the receipt of your letter questioned 

 a good many half-breeds on the subject. In our district of 

 Athabasca, along the Salt Eiver, there are still a few wood 

 Buffalo killed every year, but they are fast diminishing in numbers 

 and are also becoming very shy.' 



In his * Manitoba and the Great North-west,' Prof. John 

 Macoun has this to say regarding the presence of the wood 

 Buffalo in the region referred to. 



1 The wood Buffalo, when I was on the Peace River in 1875, 

 were confined to the country lying between the Athabasca and 

 Peace Rivers, north of latitude 57° 30', or chiefly in the Birch 

 Hills. They were also said to be in some abundance on the Salt 

 and Hay Rivers, running into the Slave River, north of Peace 

 River. The herds, thirteen years ago (now nineteen), were 

 supposed to number one thousand, all told. I believe many still 

 exist, as the Indians of that region eat fish, which are much 

 easier procured than either Buffalo or Moose ; and the country is 

 much too difficult for white men.' 



All this evidence, when carefully considered, resolves itself 

 into simply this, and no more. The only evidence in favour of 

 the existence of any live Buffaloes between Athabasca and Peace 

 Rivers is in the form of very old rumours, most of them nearly 

 fifteen years old ; time enough for the Indians to have procured 

 fire-arms in abundance, and killed all these Buffaloes two or three 

 times over. 



Mr. Miller Christy takes * the mean of the estimates,' and 

 assumes that there are now about five hundred and fifty Buffaloes 

 in the region named. If we are to believe in the existence there 

 of any stragglers, his estimate is a fair one, and we will gladly 

 accept it. The total is, therefore, as follows. Number of American 

 Bison running wild and unprotected on January 1st, 1889 : — 



In the Pan-handle of Texas 25 



In Colorado 20 



In Southern Wyoming 26 



In the Musselshell country, Montana 10 



In Western Dakota 4 



Total number in the United States 85 



In Athabasca, North-west Territory (estimated) 550 



Total in all North America 635 



ZOOLOGIST. MAY, 1890. O 



