buffalo country all the body & hinder parts nearly bare back skin, now beginning to show a short thick growth of fur. The coat preparing for the winter. The robes will soon be in prime order.

The appearance of the animal altogether nightmarish & weird, looking like a survivor of a bygone age or a reverified Tertiary monster. They stalk slowly along in lines one after another, or feed in little herds. Often lying down in groups in precisely the attitude assumed by a cow. When disturbed they break into a strange lumbering run, but withal make good time, & twirling their little pig like tails give a horse a good chase to get abreast of them. Their bellow has a hoarse hollow metallic sound & has a peculiarly erie effect when heard coming across the prairie after dark. As I write a great herd are lowing & bellowing within earshot.

The buffalo are very fond of rolling over & over in the dust & the whole plain is dotted with their walling places. The sod in a circular patch is broken & the area filled with dry powdery dust from constant use. A buffalo wallowing in one of them raises such a cloud as to altogether obscure himself, & it has a most singular effect when he suddenly stands up & becomes revealed.

Geol. Census of Drift (superficial drift) near 610. m. point