The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-30
10 BE CONTINUED.
THE BUFgALo's MUD BATH.
The RinG-shaped Wallow No Longer
Fam illar sight on the Prairie.

The RinG-shaped Wallow No Longer
a Fam illar sight on the Prairie.
From the Kansas City Star
A buffalo wallow, once one Of tho most
familiar objects on the prairies, is a circular
depression, having diameter OF from six to
thirteen fee:-the average, perhaps, about
twelve feet. In approaching Il large herd
during the summer the first indication of
the presence OF the huge animals was an
immense cloud Of dust rising high in the
air, for the buffalo, as do May OF the wild
beasts, loves TO revel in the fine sand or dirt,
which he furnishes by digging it up with
his horns
Like bull in his wallow,' was oace a
frequent saving on tbs plains, and it had Il
very significant meaning with those who
had ever witness buffalo bull trying ~ cool
b mself in wallow.
Many years ag), in the early days OF
travel on the great plains. the travellers be-
lieved these curious rings TO have been made
by the Indians in their dances but the idea
prevailed for short time. The buffalo,
whose hair ia remarkable for its intense
shaggine.s and thickness, must necessarily
suffer severely from heat, and then no will
seek the lowest ground on the prairie,
where there has been little stagnant water
left, if he can frd it, Of course, the ground
being soft under the short grass, it is an
easy matter for him t. make a mud puddle
of the spot in very short time. He ac-
composites this by getting down on one
knee, plungin2 bis short horns, and ct lass
his mead, into the earth, and he soon makes
an excavation into which the water slowly
filters This makes a relatively cool bath,
where, throwing himself on his side as fat
as he can, he rolls forcibly around, and,
with his horns and hump, he rips up the
ground by his rotary motion, sinking deeper
and deeper continually making the wallow
larger which fills with water, III which at
length he becomes completely immersed,
the water Gud mud, mixed to the conss-
tency Of mortar, covering him perfectly,
changing his color and general appearance.
When he rose the mud drlppsd in great
streams from every part Of his huge body.
a horrible looking monster Of mud and
ugliness, too terrible to be accurately de-
scribed.
1t was generally the leader of the herd
who took upon himself the business of max
ing the wallow, or, if he found another had
commenced the excavation, he would drive
him away and walow until he was satisfied,
standing in a mass Of mud and water in the
hole until DO got ready TO give the others
chance. 1t was always the next in command
who stood ready, and when he came out the
next, who advanced in his turn, and 50 on
according to rank until all had performed
their ablutions. Frequently hundred or
more would patiently wait their turn, each
one making the wallow a little larger aad
carrying off a share Of the mud, which
dried and gradually fell off.
II required about half an hour 20 make
decent walow, and the depth was about
two feet. Tho water naturally drains into
these holes, together with its accompanying
vegetable dep sit, and the result IS re-
markedly rich soil, where the grass and
weeds grow with a luxuriauce 50 marked
that q, buffalo walowsscan :be distinguished
long before it is reached. The prairies are
covered with them all over the central and
western portion Of Kansas, where the plow
has not yet disturbed the primitive sod.
The first thing a Kansas farmer does after
a rain is TO examine the buffalo wallows; IL
they are filed with water the rain has been
q good one. aud the saying common In that
region, both by the individual and the
newspaper, is, when speaking or writing OF
a soakii,o rain: "rhs buffalo wallows are
fulln When I 10 weather was dry the buf-
faIo had to content himself with the com
minuted dust he could make in the hole,
and, as the weather was generally dry. the
whereabouts Of herd could usually DO To-
Gated by the cloud Of dust above it.
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