boytoje. 



10. Bos americanus Gray. American Bison. "Buffalo." 

 Recent signs of the buffalo were first met with in the valley of the 

 Yellowstone, near the mouth of the Rosebud — tracks of single old 

 bulls that had passed down to the river for water within a period of a 

 few weeks. Above this point considerable numbers seemed to have 

 frequented the river valley during the early part of the season 

 (1873), and tracks but a few days old were frequent for the last ten 

 miles before reaching Pompey's Pillar. The first buffalo seen was 

 observed about twelve miles west of Pompey's Pillar. Eight miles 

 further west, on the divide between the Yellowstone and the Mussel- 

 shell, we found large herds had grazed but a day or two before our 

 arrival, and fresh tracks of cows and calves, as well as of bulls, were 

 abundant. From this point to the Yellowstone we Were frequently 

 in sight of quite large bands, and quite a number of individuals were 

 killed. They moved off rapidly, however, as we approached, and at 

 no time were more than a few hundreds in sight at once. AVe found 

 later that the valley of the Musselshell and its adjoining prairies had 

 been the recent feeding ground of large herds, immense numbers 

 having evidently spent the early part of the season there. They 

 seemed not, however, to have visited the valley in large numbers 

 before for many years, as all the trails and other signs had most 

 evidently been made within the few weeks immediately preceding 

 our arrival. Traces of ancient trails remained, but they were few 

 and insignificant as compared with those of the present year. The 

 herds seemed to have occupied the whole valley as far as we followed 

 it (from the 109th meridian to the Big Bend), as well as the plains 

 on either side. Considerable bands had also ranged over the divide 

 between the Musselshell and Yellowstone, particularly along the two 

 Porcupine Creeks. Gen. Custer met with small herds still further to 

 the eastward, and the main expedition came in sight of a few near 

 the mouth of Custer's Creek, where several were killed by the scouts. 

 On our return we found that during our absence small bands had 

 visited the valley of the Yellowstone itself as far down as Powder 

 River, while quite large herds had recently passed up Custer's Creek. 

 Occasional skeletons and buffalo chips in a good state of preserva- 

 tion occur eastward nearly to the Missouri, but the only very recent 

 signs observed this year east of the Yellowstone were the tracks of a 

 few old straggling bulls a few miles east of the river. The last buf- 

 falo killed near Port Rice was taken in 1869, when three were killed 



