796 The American Naturalist. [September 
and results of breeding constantly watched and guarded. Breeders, 
being bound by a common interest, would have the best means at 
their disposal of avoiding the fatal extermination of their herds, 
from an insufficient knowledge—without this source of intelligence 
—by too dangerous in-breeding. The register would supply them 
with the means of avoidance, the power of tracing to divergence 
the relationships of the sires and dams of stock for which they 
might desire to interchange. Thus divergent lines of relationships 
would be established, instead of their breeding to a convergent 
point, so that a broadening foundation would be obtained. Then 
the American buffalo would take rank as the true, because indi- 
genous, beef ruminant, and have its place alongside the proudest 
breed of bovines in existence. 
Thus the two fatal possibilities of (1) crossing-out, and (2) 
breeding-in, which must ever menace the uncertain existence of 
the buffalo, without such a method of prevention, would be entirely 
avoided. No better method than the one herein advocated can 
we conceive for the purpose designed than the register. The 
number of separate herds that such a register would develop 
would be vitality itself to “the breed.” I think I hear this entire 
proposal scouted at as bold and chimerical. But this there can 
be little doubt is about the only chance left for rehabilitating the 
species as a whole. Breeding would then become a fine art; and 
it would put the undertakirig on a lasting financial and commer- 
cial basis. 
