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^[[4]]

The only work accomplished by the curator which in any way partook of the character of investigation and research was the preparation of an extended memoir on the extermination of the American bison, with a sketch of its discovery and life history.  This publication, which appeared in the Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution, was rendered necessary by reason of the fact that the fate of almost total extinction ^[[which has befallen]] [[strikethrough]]of[[/strikethrough]] the buffalo is now threatening all our most valuable quadrupeds, and unless public attention is forcibly drawn to the great undesirability of the policy of extermination, our most interesting quadrupeds will ere long all be swept out of existence.

In order to still further direct public attention to this universal war of extermination which is now being prosecuted against all our best game animals, the curator brought together a large collection of objects illustrating this subject in a graphic manner.  This collection was prepared especially for display at the [[strikethrough]]Cincinnati[[/strikethrough]] Ohio Valley Centennial Exposition, held at Cincinnati, to which it was duly sent