The Portland daily press., 1873-08-23

There are some important facts pertaining to
| the distribution of the American Bison, show
ing he has limited capacities for mgrations.
| All the facts known of those mountain herds
above named, shew they confine themselves to
very limited areas. They never go b yond the
| limits OF cluster of spurs or range of peaks,
and hunters seldom fail to find them in sin
| gle day.
Benton says the ''Buffaloes are the best en-
| gineers." They show great skill in selecting
routes and unfinching perseverance in filing
up chasms and quagmires with their own bod
| ies But they seldom cross the Rocky Noun
tans, though his trail leads hard by passes over
which unimproved, one could drive his car
riage. The numerous skulls whitening along
| the Deer Lodge Pass, and down the valleys of
the Silver Bow and Deer Lodge towards the
| Columbia, show that multtudes once crossed
| and perished. Why? Their annual migra-
tions north through the Bad Lands and across
the Missouri are obstructed by obstacles thou
sand fold more formidable so far as we can
now see There Can be thea no Typographical
reason why they may not cross the Rocky
| Mountains, and there must be some cause not
| as yet understood. The skulls over the Deer
Lodge Pass and beyond in the Silver Bow,
prove that they did cross once at least, and that
| thousands OF them perished and have left no
representatives on the Western slope.
| These and other facts connected with the
| American Bison, show his migrations TO be
limited, and that nothing but the great Yellow
Stone Park can save him from extinction There
/ 10 uo hope VI new species even from the noun
tain variety. In this connection we may ask
why the eggplant and mastadon died out on
this continent during the terrace period? They
had genial climate, abundant forage, and
none to make them afraid? And yet they per-
ished miserably, putting an end to the most
important dynasty on the continent.
Hybrids have played an important part in
the discussion of this theory. Those produced
| in cultivation are made most paomipent.
whereas those occurring iu the wild state
| ought % give us more reliable data for deduc-
tions. The fact that the wild hybrds are
| Comparably few, should caution us against
| giving the artificial ones too much prominence
| Hybrids are very closely connected with our
| theory by two recognized facts:
| 1st, Hybrids are as a rule barren, especially
| those produced in the natural state.
I'd, The few fruitful hybrids usually mani
| parent species.
We. have a good illustration among our
| American oaks.
The Bartram Oak, was doubtless at hybrid
of @, phellos, and O. tinctoria or O. coccinia.
This oak was fruitful, and all the trees known
tall, well marked Q. pheuos, showing an entire
return from variety so marked as to be pro-
nounced a species by Micheaux, in the first
generation.
Another Hybrid called Lees Oak and sim-
lar to Bartram's was discovered near Cncin-
Vile, Mo- These are doubtless by birds of Q.
m1naorfcoria IN and O. tinctoria or q: coccsnsa,
Ihese hybrids must be very rare, though the
parent species grow together over vast areas OF
Eur country. The hope of species from the
nm,a;aeestlng r;a Bartram oak, or even healthy
founder of the line, and the return of the Off
sprlng 70 2 one of the parent species We may
eMApec1 Lee oak and my own to perish i'm their
euorts to found dynasty.