In British slang, buff meant trouble; love in the buff meant the troubles of romance. But in America, it had another meaning. In the buff meant completely naked, and it also referred to a pale yellow color, because the slang was short for buffalo. From the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, the word usually referred to a type of hide abundant in North America.
It was thicker than deerskin and well suited for making armor to replace metal plate. Thus, pale yellow heavy coats became standard gear for European soldiers during that period. During the American Revolution, George Washington, who had fought in the Seven Years' War, also adopted it. During that war, Washington had served in the British army wearing the traditional scarlet uniform.
But in the summer of 1775, at the Second Continental Congress, Washington appeared in a brand-new uniform of alternating buff and blue, stunning everyone present. Before long, buff became one of the symbolic colors of the fledgling America.
However, due to excessive hunting, the American bison that had once been everywhere on the grasslands of the Americas gradually vanished. By the early twentieth century, only twenty-one remained in all of North America. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a decree placing bison and other rare animals in national parks. By the time Newt Scamander came to America to return the Thunderbird, vast herds of bison could once again be seen on the North American plains.
But the North American Rhem cow had truly gone extinct. Rhem cows often mingled among bison herds. They were larger than ordinary cattle, and their hides were golden, making them easier targets for hunters. By the time the wizards arrived, nearly all the Rhem cows were already dead. Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry retained many anatomical diagrams and specimens, but no