80 THE FORMER RANGE OF THE BUFFALO. ` 
But the advent of civilized man not only disturbs the 
fauna by the extermination of large numbers of animals, but 
by causing others to increase largely in numbers. When the 
my of any animal is exterminated or thinned out by any 
such animal will rapidly increase in numbers. For illus 
the enemies of the smaller birds—the larger birds of prey 
destroyed by civilized man. This gives the small birds an 
hended as one would at first imagine. 
The early Jesuit missionaries and French voyageurs, who | 
way of the Great Lakes penetrated to the valley of the Mis 
pi, at the end of the seventeenth century, found the buffalo 
thousands grazing upon the prairies of Illinois and neighb 
states, or flying in countless numbers before the Red-hunter, 
the prairie fire. 
The idea of their domestication at once entered their I 
and, from that time to the present, many attempts have 
made to domesticate them, or, by crossing with domesticated 
tle, to impart to the latter some additional valuable quay 
but I believe that hitherto all such attempts have proven abort 
Now and then, upon the western frontier, you may see “the 
color, high shoulders, and somewhat restless disposition, t! 
dicate a cross between the domestic cow and buffalo bull, bat 
the red-blood of the Tndian, the mighty throng that is pressing 
soon absorbs it, and obliterates effectually its marks, if not ` 
its effects. : 
It was with a peculiar interest that I read the descrip 
these strange animals, transmitted home by the Jesuit 
geur, who two hundred years ago first looked upon “our 
prairies on which herds of wild-cattle pastured in age 
Strange contrast! Where now iron rails mark the hig 
civilization and commerce, then were only paths made by 
falo, or the Indian trail to hunting grounds or from village ' 
age. Where now are great cities, built of brick, stone and 
with their iron and marble fronted palaces of trade, thet 
Indian villages of sometimes five hundred cabins made of 
sewed together by the hands of industrious squaws 50 
ously as to render tħem impervious to rain and snow, and 
