however, is the use of the term Buffalo 

 that the word Bison would puzzle many 

 people. Strictly speaking, the name buf- 

 falo should be applied only to designate 

 the Cape and Indian species. 



The original range of the American 

 Buffalo extended from but little west of 

 the Atlantic coast westward to the Rocky 

 Mountains and from Mexico on the south 

 northward to about the sixty-fifth degree 

 of north latitude. By the trappers the Buf- 

 faloes were placed in two classes. Those 

 that frequented the mountain ranges were 

 called Bison. They w r ere seldom seen on 

 the plains, the home of the other class. 

 Their limbs were shorter and stouter and 

 better fitted for a rough country. There 

 existed in former ages two other species 

 entirely distinct from the animal with 

 which we are familiar. They were much 

 larger, possibly as large as an elephant, 

 and were probably associates of the mas- 

 todon and the mammoth. 



A fully adult male Buffalo will measure 

 about nine or ten feet in length from the 

 muzzle to the tail. Its height at the fore 

 quarters is from five to six and one-half 

 feet. The female is much smaller and 

 weighs from seven to eight hundred 

 pounds less than the male, the weight of 

 which averages eighteen hundred pounds. 



The Buffalo's massive head, with its 

 short, curved horns which are set far 

 apart on the broad forehead, is connected 

 with the body by a short deep and narrow 

 neck. From the neck the body rises, form- 

 ing a large hump on the back over the 

 forelegs, which gives the animal an odd 

 and unwieldy appearance. This hump 

 consists of fat and strong muscles which 

 control the movements of the massive 

 head. From the hump the body tapers 

 downward, so that the hind quarters are 

 low and narrow. The anterior portion of 

 the body, the forelegs and the head are 

 covered with long hair. On the forehead 

 and back the hair is curly and matted. In 

 the early spring most of the long hair is 

 shed, resulting in a modification of the 

 color of the Buffalo. The new coat is a 

 uniform grayish brown, deepening into 

 black-brown in the mane, which covers 

 the top part of the head, forehead, neck 

 and under surface of the throat. 



Captain Doyle in an article published 

 in the American Naturalist says, "White 



Buffaloes have frequently been seen and 

 killed. All- the Indian tribes regard them 

 as 'big medicine,' but they have different 

 superstitions regarding them. For in- 

 stance Catlin, the painter, while among 

 the Mandans in .1832, saw a white buf- 

 falo robe erected on a pole in their vil- 

 lage as a sacrifice to the Great Spirit. It 

 had been purchased from the Blackfeet, 

 who killed the Buffalo, for eight horses 

 and a quantity of goods. On the other 

 hand, the Comanches believe it very dan- 

 gerous to see a white Buffalo. In 1869 I 

 saw a young Comanche, who had seen a 

 white Buffalo, return to his camp almost 

 dead with fear. He was taken into his 

 tent, the medicine man was sent for and 

 they smoked him and kept up incantations 

 over him day and night for a week. When 

 he came out he believed that he had had a 

 very narrow escape from death. In 1859 

 a white Buffalo was killed by a white man 

 on the north fork of the Red river. He 

 desired to have it dressed to preserve it, 

 but failed to get any Indian to undertake 

 the task for a long time. At last he pre- 

 vailed on a Comanche chief, named 

 'Horseback' to have the operation per- 

 formed. 'Horseback' selected one of his 

 squaw r s, had the medicine man of his band 

 go through various ceremonies over her 

 to preserve her life and then placed her in 

 a tepee some distance from his camp, 

 where the hide was taken to her by a sol- 

 dier and brought away by him when 

 dressed. No other Indian would look at 

 the hide, much less touch it. Her food 

 was left for her at some distance from;the 

 tepee and when the robe was dressed, 

 medicine ceremonies were held over her 

 before she was allowed to join the camp." 



These gregarious animals, during the 

 period of their supremacy, rarely re- 

 mained for any great length of time in 

 any given locality. Frequently, as if 

 moved by a sudden and general impulse, 

 the whole herd, made up of many smaller 

 companies, each with its leader, would 

 start, all the individuals moving in the 

 same direction. No barriers seemed too 

 great to overcome. Moving in a straight 

 line they would swim or ford rivers, find 

 some means of crossing chasms, but still 

 move on as if led by some irresistible 

 impulse. 



These migrations, in many instances, 



2') 



