932 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. io, 1910. 
far as the extremity of South America, passing 
en route through Asia, Bering Straits, Alaska 
and Western North America. As a return con¬ 
tribution South America furnished to Africa— 
along the same route in a reverse direction—its 
porcupines. The place of origin of the different 
groups is a particularly fascinating branch of the 
philosophy of palaeontology, and Professor Os¬ 
born’s great work throws a flood of light on 
many disputed points. 
The Secondary, or Mesozoic period, was for¬ 
merly supposed to be an “Age of Reptiles” only, 
but now we know that mammals—for the most 
part small forms—existed throughout its entire 
duration, thus multiplying the period of known 
mammalian life on earth by three or four. This 
is equally true of man, and the Quaternary, or 
'Age of Man,” was so named, because it was be¬ 
lieved to embrace the period during which man 
existed. We now know, however, that he existed 
in the preceding Pliocene, and the recent dis¬ 
coveries of Eoliths take man, or rather a man¬ 
like ape, back into the Oligocene, a duration of 
time which requires our computing his life on 
earth by many hundred thousands of years. 
In short, the introductory chapter in the “Age 
of Mammals” is a condensed zoology in itself 
and could stand alone as a text book. The suc¬ 
ceeding chapters deal with the subdivisions of 
the Caenozoic period, aand after a brief mention 
of Mesozoic mammals, happily denominated by 
the author Meseutheria, the author takes up the 
archaic mammals, found in the Basal Eocene in 
Europe and in North America. 
This group includes the Amblypods, Condy- 
larths and Creodonts, and is apparently not an¬ 
cestral to the later and more highly developed 
faunae, but instead is in many respects parallel. 
Some of the more vigorous members of this 
early fauna, like the Creodonts, lived on far 
into the succeeding periods. 
This primitive group was succeeded by later 
faunas directly ancestral to the modern types 
which first appear in the Lower Eocene. 
Of especial interest are the pages devoted to 
the rhinoceroses, horses and elephants, and the 
book contains certain absolutely new material, 
new even to those who are well informed on the 
subject. Most striking is the migration here first 
widely announced of African antelopes into 
America, and the discovery in Western North 
America of hippotragine and tragelaphine ante¬ 
lopes. The occurrence of these animals in 
America is a startling and dramatic fact, and 
shows that we must be prepared for all manner 
of revolutionary discoveries in the future, and 
that in dealing with science we must constantly 
be prepared to readjust our theories to fit new 
facts. 
In the preceding paragraphs it has not been 
possible to discuss at length Professor Osborn’s 
book, but the attempt has been made to point out 
some of the more striking details noticeable in 
glancing through it. The “Age of Mammals” is 
essentially a book of reference, but it is also a 
complete compendium of mammalian palaeon¬ 
tology, richly illustrated by charts, photographs 
and restorations of extinct types. In short, it is 
most striking evidence of the growing pre-emi¬ 
nence of American science. 
Madison Grant. 
The Forest and Stream may be obtained from any 
newsdealer on order. Ask your dealer to supply you 
regularly. 
Pablo Buffalo Herd’s Beginning. 
The continued interest felt by all hunters in 
the Pablo herd of buffalo in Western Montana, 
revived some years ago by the sale of this herd 
to the Canadian Government, and recently by 
the reported intention to hunt down the outlaw 
bulls of the herd, makes anything about them 
peculiarly worth printing. In 1902 Forest and 
Stream gave the history of the beginnings of 
this herd, which had been known in a vague way 
to old-timers out in Montana for a long time. 
It also described its condition in that year. The 
late Charles Aubrey was trading in Montana at 
the time the calves were captured which formed 
the basis of this herd, and from him their history 
was learned. 
Since then Charles Aubrey, whose knowledge 
of the West went back to the early 6o’s, has 
passed over the Great Divide. His mind was 
stored with memories of the happenings of the 
early West and especial’y of early Montana, and 
Forest and Stream counts itself fortunate to 
have been able to secure from him for its read¬ 
ers a number of these reminiscences. 
His account of the capture of the first calves 
taken over to the Flathead Valley is as follows: 
In the year 1877 I was located on the Marias 
River and engaged in the Indian trade. 
A few miles above me, at Willow Rounds, Col. 
Culbertson, of the American Fur Company, had 
a winter trading post; below me a wandering- 
trader was located. 
This part of the river was a favorite winter 
hunting ground for the Blackfeet. There was 
good grass and a variety of weeds for buffalo 
horses. The river bottom was well timbered, 
which furnished plenty of fuel and shelter. The 
high, level prairie to the north was a favorite 
winter range of the buffalo. The Marias was 
the main watering ground for all game between 
it and Milk River, one hundred miles to the 
northward. 
Close by, and on the north side of the river, 
some three miles below me, was the great medi¬ 
cine rock of the Blackfeet. All war parties paid 
tribute to it as they passed. They placed articles 
of value upon it, and painted it, praying that they 
might be successful in war. The mothers of 
families here made offerings of valuables, with 
prayers to this medicine rock for the recovery 
of their children in case of sickness, or asked 
that the unborn child might be a man. Here, in 
the spring after the winter’s hunt was over, was 
the general point of gathering; here passed the 
summer route of travel. At that time the soldier 
lodge was held, and laws and rules laid down 
for governing the summer’s hunt, for friendly 
visits, and for war also; to protect their range 
and country from invasion by other tribes. Here 
they journeyed on their way to the summer hunt¬ 
ing ground in the Cypress Hill far to the north. 
The historian of the future, when writing of the 
Blackfeet, with an abler pen than mine, will find 
interesting material in this country. 
There were three trading posts in this favor¬ 
ably located country. I was called by the In¬ 
dians The Man in the Middle, for the reason 
that I was between the other two. My post was 
called Ft. Custer. All foreign Indians gave me 
the preference in trade, for the reason I gave them 
the same tail and trade I gave my own people. 
Among the Indians who traded with me that 
winter were the Sarcees and Stonies, from the 
far north; the Blackfeet proper, the Kootenais 
and Klamaths, from toward the Coast; the 
Nez Perces, Gros Ventres, Assinaboines, Pend 
d’Oreilles and one family of Crows. All tribes 
were in sympathy with each other, through the 
effects of the Nez Percez war. This was what 
brought these strange trade conditions about. I 
sold one Klamath twelve dozen buffalo tongues 
at $4 per dozen, as well as a number of fine 
robes. In his country there were no buffalo. 
Among the Pend d'Oreille Indians who made 
up the hunting party from across the mountains 
was-- an ambitious, bright, middle-aged man—of 
the warrior class, but not a chief—whose Chris¬ 
tian name was Sam. He was known to the 
Blackfeet as Short Coyote. He was a typical 
Pend d’Oreille, with the economical turn of 
those Indians as gathered from their early Chris¬ 
tian instructors, Fathers De Smet and Ravalli. 
I often met Sam in the way of trade, and he 
indicated more than ordinary friendship for me, 
caused "perhaps by my fairness in trade. My in¬ 
terpreter for the Blackfeet was a three-quarter 
blood Blackfoot, Baptiste Champaigne. His 
father was the noted Michel Champaigne, trader 
and interpreter for the American Fur Company. 
Baptiste’s wife was a sister of Yellow Wolf, 
a Blackfoot warrior, still living here. She had 
a niece whose name was Mi-sum-mi-mo-na, 
who, being rather a comely girl, had attracted 
the attention of Sam. The Pend d’Oreille Sam 
made propositions to her kinsfolk, Yellow Wolf, 
Champaigne and his wife that he be permitted 
to marry Mi-sum-mi-mo-na, and offered for her 
sixteen head of good horses. The offer being- 
very tempting, she became his wife. A short 
time afterward Baptiste gave me the story of 
the affair. I told him very frankly that he had 
made a mistake. He asked my reasons. I said 
to him: “You are a strong Catholic and your 
church does not permit polygamous marriages.” 
By the rules and laws regulating- marriage 
among the Pend d’Oreilles, Sam was punishable 
by both fine and flogging. This punishment is 
carried out by the soldier band of the Pend 
d’Oreilles. Baptiste was worried over my view 
of the marriage. Sam’s Pend d'Oreille wife was 
very much opposed to his second marriage, and 
appealed to me to talk with him and tell him 
that he must not go crazy, that the Pend 
d'Oreilles were taught to have but one wife, 
while the Blackfeet could have any number they 
could buy and support. 
In course of time Sam's first wife made so 
many objections, and so continually quarreled 
with him over his second marriage that there 
was no peace in the family. By early spring 
(1878) feeling had risen to such a condition that 
Sam shot and wounded his first wife. It was a 
flesh wound in the shoulder. She was still as¬ 
serting the rights of Christian marriage. She 
showed great love and affection for Sam, which 
he did not appreciate or reciprocate. Conditions 
were such that the Blackfoot wife, though fond 
of excitement and war, could not endure the 
continual strife, and found life in Sam’s lodge 
unbearable. 
To Baptiste affairs now assumed a serious 
turn, as he feared for the life of his niece. 
In the course of a few days Sam, whom I had 
not seen for some time, called on me. I found 
(Continued on page 955.) 
