1851
1852
1853
1854
1855.
1856
’ 8.57'
1 858
! 860
1861
1862
I 86:3
1 86 5
1868
1 869
1870
1871
1872
Adult. . Young. Total.
IS52 90 1 642
1600 - I48 1748
1642 l6o 1802
1655 169 1824
? ? 1824
'■? ? -1771
? ? ■ 1898
? ? 1434
? ? • 1575
? • ' 1447
II24 127 1251
795 79 . ; «:74
639,, ' 85 l i t 24
451 559
492 49 54'
498 44 r s 4 i
477 51 ^ 4 2 ®
? 3 528
It will be seen from the foregoing figures that the herd attained its
maximum during the years 18 5 1 t«fi86%and that after the jitter date a
steady but irregular decline took place. The absolute maximum was in
1857. Some of the causes of the decline are noticed later on.
From 1873 to 1892 the author furnishes us with another series iij|
tables. From this we learn that while the greater portion of the herd is
now contained in the Bielowitza forest, a small number are preserved in the
adjacent forest of Swisslotsch, and a third division in the Zoological Gardensof
Bielowitza. This table is as follows, viz.
Bielowitza. Gardens. Swisslotsch. Total. OO '-J GO
429 44 46 527 OO
>4
Ch P
450 32 44 536
,, (Dec.) . . 481 : 28 49 ■
1876 ■ - 7486 28 52 561
1877 (Jan.) . 480 26 53 5S9 -
„ . (Dec.) . 482 BMI s6 , 565
1B 9 v 1 1 1 1
Bielowitza.
485
risslotsch.
60
Gardens. Su
26
Total.
571
18! 493 24 62 579
1881 486 24 64 574
i 88^5,f ’^ '
® ° 9
20 ’l l 1 SI'SIb B
1,883 5QI 16 67 592
1 8 85 (Jan.) 324 6 54 384
(Dec.) '(£§49 8 76 . 433
331 86 427
?is , •' ' 335.£ 11 | | 2 438
1889 ' 274 i^ H 96 3 8M
1890 (Feb/)'. — .. . W279 iSv':..: 100 391
„ (Dec.) 2 94 IS 97 4° 6i
1891 (Dec.) '363 75 101 47l £
■ H . 101 1
This table B ow s that from i S 3 1882 the herd was,: .grad
recuperating itself, but that between 1883 and 1885 itSlufFered a very
heavy lo<B from which date it went/jjri rapidly diminishing till the end
o f 1890, when a coflliderabj# rise was established ; this increase being also
marked in the two following years, when- the counting ceased.
Regarding the-gradual diminution in the number of the Lithuanian
bison, the following are some of the data furnished by the same author.
It appears that bison-sh@oting-5Minle.ss by Special permission—was pg | a
hibited in the Bielowitza forest by an imperial ukase in the autumn of
1802. How many animals have actually been shcfisince that date it is
difficult to estimate, as the official records do not 'seem altogether reliable.
It is stated, for instance, that between 1832 and i860 only eighteen bison
were shot ; but Dr. Buhner says that this does not 'include an example
f i l l e d in 1848 ;| fr the museum at Kiew. In i860 an imperial hunt was
Organised in thel jre s t, when twenty-eight bison (eighteen bulls and
ten cows) were slaughtered. In 1865 a pair were shot for the museums
of Strasburg and Gottingen, and in 1871 one was killed for Helsingfors.
Between 1873 and 1892 a total of fifteen head were hunted and slain.