124 Oxen 



collect its thoughts sufficiently to seek safety in Right. General Kinloch 

 states that he has known bull buffalo to charge elephants both when 

 wounded and before being hit. When they have once decided to attack, 

 they generally charge home ; and a beast with horns like the larger 

 specimens in the British Museum must be difficult indeed to avoid. For 

 hunting on foot the best time is in the hot season during the months of 

 April and May, when much ot the tall grass has either been burnt or dried 

 up and water is scarce. Fresh tracks in the neighbourhood of pools 

 should then be looked for, and when discovered followed up. 



So fond are these buffaloes of water that, both in the wild and 

 domesticated condition, they will trequentlv stand tor hours with only 

 their heads above the surface. In disposition they are somewhat sluggish 

 animals, and show but little tear ot man even when in the wild state. 

 Indeed, much damage is done to crops by wild buffaloes in districts where 

 they are common. The innate ferocity of the wild race is well illustrated 

 by an anecdote told by Captain Lamb, who states that on one occasion a 

 bull buffalo that dropped to his riHe was immediately attacked by a second 

 and larger bull, which rolled the wounded animal over and over each time 

 it attempted to regain its legs, t^ventually the pair were bagged by the 

 lucky sportsman. 



Both in the wild and tame condition the pairing season takes place in 

 autumn, and the young, which may be either one or two in number, are 

 born the tollowing summer, after a gestation of about ten months. 

 Domesticated buffaloes, which are frequently but half-tamed, differ chiefly 

 from the wild race by their inferior bodily size and smaller horns. And 

 although pale-coloured, or even albino varieties may not untrequently be 

 observed, no distinct tame breeds have ever been produced. Neither will 

 they ever interbreed with the Indian or European domestic cattle. 



Regarding the date of introduction of the Indian buffalo into Egypt 

 there appears to be no definite information, but it seems to have been 



