57th Congress, / SENATE. 

 1st Session. j 



j Document 



THE AMERICAN BISON IN THE UNITED STATES AND 



CANADA. 



LETTER 



FROM 



THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, 



TRANSMITTING 



TO THE SENATE FACTS IN RELATION TO THE PRESERVATION 

 OF THE AMERICAN BISON IN THE UNITED STATES AND 

 CANADA. 



July 1, 1902. — Referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry and ordered 



to be printed. 



Department of the Interior, 



Washington, July 1\ 1902. 

 Sir: I am in receipt of Senate resolution of January 30, 1902 — 



That the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture be directed to 

 transmit to the Senate any facts which they possess with reference to the preserva- 

 tion in the United States, or the Dominion of Canada, of the buffalo or American 

 bison; informing the Senate whether or not such animals are dying out or are on the 

 increase; to wjiat extent they are running wild or are being domesticated, and whether 

 or not such as remain are of pure or mixed blood; and also informing the Senate 

 whether or not any steps ought to be taken by the United States for the preservation 

 from extinction of such animals. 



In response thereto I have the honor to state that, at the time of the 

 passage of this resolution, the facts in the possession of the Depart- 

 ment in relation to buffalo in the United States were exceedingly 

 meager, it was therefore necessary to resort to correspondence to 

 secure the information desired; with that end in view, letters were 

 addressed to the executives of the several States and Territories, the 

 Secretary of State, and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 and copies of their respective replies regarding the buffalo are hereto 

 appended. 



From these reports it will be seen that the total number of buffalo 

 or bison, both full and mixed blood, in the United States, is 1,143. Of 

 these 72 are running wild, 50 being in the State of Colorado and 22 in 

 the Yellowstone National Park. The number domesticaJb efl o r in cap- 

 tivity, including full and mixed blood, is 1,071. Th€ total number of 

 pure-blooded animals in the United States is and the mixed 



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