BUFFALO. 
47 
their hair and become covered with scabs ; and the magpies alight on their 
backs and pick the sores- The poor animals in these dreadful seasons die 
in great numbers. 
A singular trait in the Buualo when caught young, w^'-s related to us, as 
follows : When a calf is taken, if the person who captures it places one of 
his lingers in its mouth, it will follow him afterwards, whether on foot or 
on horseback, for several miles. 
We now give a few notes from our journal kept at Fort Union, which 
may interest our readers. 
August 7th, 1843, a Buffalo cow \vas killed and brought into the fort, 
and to the astonishment of all, was found to be near her time of calving. 
This was an extraordinary circumstance at that season of the year. 
August 8th, The young Buffaloes have commenced shedding their first 
(or i-ed) coat of hair, which drops off in patches about the size of the palm 
of a man’s hand. The new hair is dark brownish black. We caught one 
of these calves with a lasso, and had several men to hold him, but on ap- 
proaching to pull off some of the old hair, he kicked and bounced about in 
such a furious manner that we could not get near him. Mr. Culbertson 
had it however taken to the press post, and there it was drawn up and 
held so closely that we could handle it, and we tore off some pieces of its 
old pelage, which hung to the side with surprising tenacity. 
The process of butchering or cutting up the carcass of the Buffalo is 
generally performed in a slovenlj- and disgusting manner by the hunters, 
and the choicest parts only are sav^ed, unless food is scarce. The liver and 
brains are eagerly sought for, and the hump is excellent when broiled. 
The pieces of flesh from the sides are called by the French, fillets, or the 
depouille ; the marrow bones are sometimes cut out, and the paunch is 
stripped of its covering of fat. 
Some idea of the immense number of Bisons to be still seen on the wild 
prairies, may be formed from the following account, given to us by Mi'. 
Kipp, one of the principals of the American Fur Compan 3 L “ While he 
was travelling from Travers’ Bay to the Mandan nation in the month of 
August, in a cart heavily laden, he passed through herds of Buffalo for six 
days in succession. At another time he saw the great prairie near Fort 
Clark on the Missouri river, almost blackened by these animals, which co- 
vered the plain to the hills that bounded the view in all directions, and pro- 
bably extended farther. 
When the Bisons first see a person, whether white or red, they trot or 
canter off forty or fifty j^ards, and then stop suddenly, turn their heads and 
gaze on their foe for a few moments, then take a course and go off at full 
speed until out of sight, and bejmnd the scent of man. 
