The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-04-01
NEARLY WIPED OUT.
Existence of the Few Surviving
Buffaloes Threatened.
Bringing the Yellowstone Park
Animals to Washington.

much alarmed Mt the possible extinc-
ton of the buffalo. Mr.. Langley the
head of the Smithsonian institute,
writes Frank q. Carpenter in tho
Washington Star, does not think that
there are as many as 100 buflaloes
left in the United States. There are
few here in the National park, aud
small herd at Philadelphia. Austin
COrbin, the New York millionaire, has
several, and it may be that there are
some small scattering herds in differ
ent parts of the west. OF these, how
ever, the Smithsonian Institution has
no record, and such as exist are pro-
badly half-breeds. The only pure
buifnloes outside of the above are
those of the Yellowstone park, which
two years ago numbered about 200
head, and which are now reduced to
fifty. Mr.. Langley has just
received letters stating that
been killed within the past four
months, and that the others are in
danger. The chances are that they
will last only short time, and Con-
gress has been notified that if some
thing is not done at once this wonder
full animal will disappear from the
face of the earth. There are no other
buffaloes on the earth but these. The
small herds of the East cannot be
made to perpetuate the buffalo without
inbreeding, which will deteriorate the
species, and its only salvation is the
bringing of these from the Yellow
stone Park to some point where they
can be carefully watched and cared
for.
1t is Mr.. Langley's idea that they
should be brought to Washington and
put in the National geological park
here. The main purpose of purchas-
ing this park was for the protection
of such things as the buffalo aud of
other American animals liable to be-
tinct. 1t contains plenty of ground
for good buffalo park, and if these
buffaloes can be put in it, they will
serve as neucles for the raising OF
buffaloes, which can be supplied to
the different geological gardens of the
United States and furnished to col
onies of them over the country, by
which the species can be perpetuated.
Professor Goode, the head of the Ma
tional museum, says that we ought to
have at least 100 bufialoes in order to
maintain the species, and that there
should be herds in different sections
of the country, the ANIMALS of which
might be interchanged to prevent the
deterioration which the inbreeding ef
single colony would certainly pro-
duce.
One of the largest buifaloes ever
known was shot by Mr.. Hornaday. II
is now preserved in the National
Museum. It is FIVE feet eight inches
high at the shoulders, and is ten feet
two inches long from nose to tail.
Many buffaloes weigh over sixteen
hundred pounds The natural life oi
the animal is about twenty years.
The cows usually breed once yeai
and begin breeding at the age OF two
years. The buffalo calf ut birth il
covered with red hair. This hail
changes after time to brown anC
then black. The hair on the head o
a buffalo is very long. Many woman
in fact, would be glad to have as Ions
hair as that Of one of the stuffed buf
faloes in the National museum, which
measures, / am told, twenty-five
inches. The buffalo cows weigh les
than the bulls, good fat one weigh
ing from thousand to twelve hun
dred pounds. They have small udders
but their milk is very rich. ]
requires, in fact, the milk O
two cows to satisfy one buffalo calf
The best time to look at buffalo i
in the fall or winter. In the summe
, he is as ragged, ugly and dirty as an.
animal on earth. He sheds his hai
> every year, beginning about February
The hair comes off little at time
1t often hangs in punches to his blacl
skin, and he will fight You if you toucl
, it. He is troubled by the flies at thi
, time, but he goes off to the neares
mudhole and rolls in it until he ha
', plastered his body with mud. If tn
hole is not deep enough he will dig i
out with his horns and head. and will
then get in and roll over until his en-