96 Oxen 



triangular form ; frequently receding far behind the plane of the eyes, and 

 generally with a distinct demarcation between the rough bases and the 

 smooth tips. Ears very large, heavily fringed with long hairs, especially 

 on the lower margin, and the upper margin sharply truncated before 

 descending to the pointed extremity. Tail tutted, and reaching a little 

 below the hocks. Hair of back directed uniformly backwards, from the 

 neck to the rump ; that of head and body coarse, and in adults more 

 or less sparse, in colour varying from black, through brown, to orange-red 

 or yellow. 



Few of the larger mammals have given rise to more confusion than 

 the various forms of African buffalo ; and many more specimens are 

 required before the various points in dispute can be regarded as finally 

 settled. If we had only the enormous black buffalo of the Cape and the 

 little red buffalo of the Congo to deal with, there would be no hesitation 

 in regarding them as perfectly distinct species. But these extreme forms 

 are so intimately connected by intermediate modifications, that it seems 

 impossible to look upon them in any other light than geographical races 

 of a single extremely variable and widely spread species. The brown 

 buffalo of Nubia and Abyssinia, for example, is so close to the Cape 

 animal, that it must almost certainly be regarded merely as a sub-species. 

 And the alliance between the Abyssinian and the Senegambian race seems 

 even closer still. But in colour the Senegambian form approximates to 

 the red Congo buffalo, constituting the other extreme of the series. All 

 the different forms agree in the normal direction of the hair of the back. 



As an instance of the diversity of views entertained by naturalists on 

 this question, it may be mentioned that in his first paper on the subject 

 Sir V. Brooke regarded all the West African buffaloes as specifically in- 

 separable from the Abyssinian form, but kept the Cape bufi-alo distinct. 

 In his second memoir (1H75) all three forms were regarded as distinct, 

 but closely allied species. On the other hand, Dr. Pechuel-Loesche makes 



