# The Extermination of the American Bison/Contents

CONTENTS
| PREFATORY NOTE. ||||||
| Page. ||||||
| Part I | — The life history of the bison | — The life history of the bison | — The life history of the bison | — The life history of the bison | 373 |
| I. | I. | Discovery of the species | Discovery of the species | Discovery of the species | 373 |
| II. | II. | Geographical distribution | Geographical distribution | Geographical distribution | 376 |
| III. | III. | Abundance | Abundance | Abundance | 387 |
| IV. | IV. | Character of the species | Character of the species | Character of the species | 393 |
| 1. | 1. | 1. | The buffalo's rank amongst ruminants | The buffalo's rank amongst ruminants | 393 |
| 2. | 2. | 2. | Change of form in captivity | Change of form in captivity | 394 |
| 3. | 3. | 3. | Mounted specimens in museums | Mounted specimens in museums | 396 |
| 4. | 4. | 4. | The calf | The calf | 396 |
| 5. | 5. | 5. | The yearling | The yearling | 401 |
| 6. | 6. | 6. | The spike bull | The spike bull | 401 |
| 7. | 7. | 7. | The adult bull | The adult bull | 402 |
| 8. | 8. | 8. | The cow in the third year | The cow in the third year | 406 |
| 9. | 9. | 9. | The adult cow | The adult cow | 406 |
| 10. | 10. | 10. | The "Wood" or "Mountain Buffalo" | The "Wood" or "Mountain Buffalo" | 407 |
| 11. | 11. | 11. | The shedding of the winter pelage | The shedding of the winter pelage | 412 |
| V. | V. | Habits of the buffalo | Habits of the buffalo | Habits of the buffalo | 415 |
| VI. | VI. | The food of the buffalo | The food of the buffalo | The food of the buffalo | 426 |
| VII. | VII. | Mental capacity and disposition of the buffalo | Mental capacity and disposition of the buffalo | Mental capacity and disposition of the buffalo | 429 |
| VIII. | VIII. | Value to mankind | Value to mankind | Value to mankind | 434 |
| IX. | IX. | Economic value of the bison to Western cattle-growers | Economic value of the bison to Western cattle-growers | Economic value of the bison to Western cattle-growers | 451 |
| 1. | 1. | 1. | The bison in captivity and domestication | The bison in captivity and domestication | 451 |
| 2. | 2. | 2. | Need of an improvement in range cattle | Need of an improvement in range cattle | 452 |
| 3. | 3. | 3. | Character of the buffalo — domestic hybrid | Character of the buffalo — domestic hybrid | 454 |
| 4. | 4. | 4. | The bison as a beast of burden | The bison as a beast of burden | 457 |
| 5. | 5. | 5. | List of bison herds and individuals in captivity | List of bison herds and individuals in captivity | 458 |
| Part II. | — The extermination | — The extermination | — The extermination | — The extermination | 464 |
| I. | I. | Causes of the extermination | Causes of the extermination | Causes of the extermination | 464 |
| II. | II. | Methods of slaughter | Methods of slaughter | Methods of slaughter | 465 |
| 1. | 1. | 1. | The "still hunt" | The "still hunt" | 465 |
| 2. | 2. | 2. | The chase on horseback | The chase on horseback | 470 |
| 3. | 3. | 3. | Impounding | Impounding | 478 |
| 4. | 4. | 4. | The surround | The surround | 480 |
| 5. | 5. | 5. | Decoying and driving | Decoying and driving | 483 |
| 5. | 5. | 5. | Hunting on snow-shoes | Hunting on snow-shoes | 484 |
| III. | III. | Progress of the extermination | Progress of the extermination | Progress of the extermination | 484 |
| A. | A. | A. | The period of desultory destruction | The period of desultory destruction | 484 |
| B. | B. | B. | The period of systematic slaughter | The period of systematic slaughter | 486 |
| 1. | 1. | 1. | 1. | The Red River half-breeds | 488 |
| 2. | 2. | 2. | 2. | The country of the Sioux | 490 |
| 3. | 3. | 3. | 3. | Western railways, and their part in the extermination of the buffalo | 490 |
| 4. | 4. | 4. | 4. | The division of the universal herd | 492 |
| 5. | 5. | 5. | 5. | The destruction of the southern herd | 492 |
| 6. | 6. | 6. | 6. | Statistics of the slaughter | 498 |
| 7. | 7. | 7. | 7. | The destruction of the northern herd | 502 ​ |
| IV. | IV. | Legislation to prevent useless slaughter | Legislation to prevent useless slaughter | Legislation to prevent useless slaughter | 513 |
| V. | V. | Completeness of the wild buffalo's extirpation | Completeness of the wild buffalo's extirpation | Completeness of the wild buffalo's extirpation | 521 |
| VI. | VI. | Effects of the disappearance of the bison | Effects of the disappearance of the bison | Effects of the disappearance of the bison | 525 |
| VII. | VII. | Preservation of the species from absolute extinction | Preservation of the species from absolute extinction | Preservation of the species from absolute extinction | 527 |
| Part III. | — The Smithsonian expedition for specimens | — The Smithsonian expedition for specimens | — The Smithsonian expedition for specimens | — The Smithsonian expedition for specimens | 529 |
| Part III. | I. | The exploration for specimens | The exploration for specimens | The exploration for specimens | 529 |
| Part III. | II. | The hunt | The hunt | The hunt | 534 |
| Part III. | III. | The mounted group in the National Museum | The mounted group in the National Museum | The mounted group in the National Museum | 546 |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. :
| Group of buffaloes in the National Museum | Frontispiece |
| Head of ball buffalo to face page | 382 |
| Slaughter of buffalo on Kansas Pacific Railroad do | 392 |
| Buffalo cow, calf, and yearling do | 398 |
| Spike bull do | 398 |
| Bull buffalo do | 404 |
| Bull buffalo, rear view do | 406 |
| The development of the buffalo's horns do | 418 |
| A dead bull do | 442 |
| Buffalo skinners at work do | 442 |
| Five minutes' work do | 444 |
| Scene on the northern buffalo range do | 444 |
| Half-breed calf do | 454 |
| Young half-breed bull do | 458 |
| Half-breed buffalo (domestic) cow do | 458 |
| The still-hunt do | 468 |
| The chase on horseback do | 472 |
| Cree Indians impounding buffalo do | 478 |
| The surround do | 482 |
| Indians bunting buffaloes on snow-shoes do | 484 |
| Where the millions have gone do | 500 |
| Trophies of the hunt do | 542 |
| MAPS. ||
| Sketch map of the hunt for buffalo do | 534 |
| Map illustrating the extermination of the American bison | End of paper |