488 



THE CLOV EX-HOOFED AXIMALS. 



posterior surfaces, they are perfectly smooth; their 

 cross-section is an irregular triangle. The hairy cov- 

 ering is scant, stiff and bristly, growing a trifle longer 

 only on the forehead, the shoulders, along the entire 

 front of the throat and on the tail-tuft, while the 

 hinder part of the back, the buttocks, breast and ab- 

 dominal surface, the thighs and the greater part of 

 the legs have a nearly naked appearance; thus the 

 coloring of the hide, which as a rule is dark blackish- 

 gray or black, is a greater factor in producing the 

 general color than the bluish-gray hair, tinged with 

 brownish or red-brown. There also are white or 

 mottled individuals, but the) - are rare. The cow 

 differs from the bull only by its smaller proportions. 

 Range and Habits The range of this wild Buffalo ex- 



of the Indian tends from the foot of the Himala- 

 Buffalo. y as _ through Bengal and the eastern 

 portions of central India southward about to the 

 Godavari.and eastward, through Assam and Burmah, 

 at least as far as northwestern Siam. It is also a 

 native of Ceylon. 



Being as fond of water as all other members of its 

 tribe, the Indian Buffalo is found only in the wetter 

 portions of its range, either near rivers or in the im- 

 mediate neighborhood of small lakes, which may 

 contain water only at certain times, or else around 

 shallow lagoons on the shores of the ocean. It is 

 clumsy in its movements, but' is strong and possesses 

 great endurance, and in swimming it is particularly 

 proficient. Among the perceptive senses those of 

 smelling and hearing rank first; sight and suscepti- 

 bility to sensation of touch appear to be little devel- 

 oped, neither does the sense of taste seem of a high 

 order, as the animal contents itself with the worst 

 quality of food, such indeed as other Oxen disdain. 

 The Buffaloes graze especially during the night and 

 in the early morning; they are given to incursions 

 into plantations and sometimes commit great depre- 

 dations in them. 



The temper of the Indian Buffalo is said to be 

 sulky and uncertain; its strength and courage are 

 said to be so great that Hindu poetry places the 

 animal on a level with the Tiger. "The bull," says 

 Hodgson, " is so strong and pugnacious thrt it not 

 only dares attack a full-grown Elephant, but occa- 

 sionally subdues it." Jerdon also states that an en- 

 raged Buffalo will sometimes turn and charge straight 

 against a hunting Elephant, and he adds: "The 

 Buffaloes arc anything but shy, except in those 

 regions in which they have suffered much from con- 

 stant pursuit, and one can approach them within 

 easy range even on Elephants, without the aid of 

 which the chase can not very well be successfully 

 conducted." 



The vocal expression of the Buffalo is a deep, 

 rumbling bellow. Hodgson says that the bull seeks 

 his mate in the fall; then the larger herds gener- 

 ally resolve themselves into smaller bands, one of 

 which each bull collects around himself. 



The Indian Buffalo is, in a certain sense, the 

 natural enemy of the Tiger, and nearly always 

 issues victorious from its combats with that beast. 

 W. Rice relates that adult Buffalo bulls are occa- 

 sionally attacked by Tigers, but frequently succeed 

 in quieting the beast of pre)- forever. When one 

 Buffalo is attacked the others fly to its rescue and, 

 as a rule, succeed in despatching or driving off the 

 assailants. Herdsmen tending tame Buffaloes may, 

 without fear of molestation from beasts of prey, 

 spend their time in the jungle, riding one of the 

 animals. Johnson relates how a Tiger attacked the 



rearmost Man of a caravan. A herdsman, who 

 was guarding Buffaloes near by, flew to the rescue 

 and wounded the beast of prey. The Tiger imme- 

 diately relinquished its first victim and seized the 

 herdsman; but the Buffaloes, seeing the danger their 

 master was in, rushed at the Tiger and assailed it so 

 furiously that it soon lay dead upon the ground. 

 Distribution and We do not know when and how the 

 Life of the Tame tame Buffalo has been distributed, 

 Buffalo. but- we suppose that it was probably 



brought to Persia in the train of great armies or of 

 migrating tribes, as the companions of Alexander 

 the Great found it there. Later the Moslems may 

 have transported it to Egypt and Syria. In the 

 year 596, during the reign of Agilulf, it landed in 

 Italy, to the great surprise of Europeans. At first 

 it seems to have spread very slowly; it is now found 

 from southern China, throughout India and Farther 

 India, Afghanistan, Persia, Armenia, Syria, Palestine, 

 Turkey, Greece, and the valley of the Danube, Italy, 

 and very commonly also in Egypt, but not in Nubia. 

 Like all of its relatives, it most delights in hot, 

 swampy or watery situations. The Nile Delta is a 

 paradise for it. On the lower Danube it apparently 

 feels very comfortable; in the Italian swamps it is 

 the only member of its family to be found, as all 

 others succumb to the noisome atmosphere of the 

 unhealthful climate. In Lower Egypt it is plentiful 

 everywhere, and, except the Goat, is the only source 

 of supply for milk and butter. Every village in 

 the Delta and most of the villages in Upper Egypt 

 have a large pool between the huts, the sole purpose 

 of which is to afford the Buffaloes a convenient 

 bathing place. One sees them much oftener in the 

 water than on the pasturage, and if possible, they 

 submerge themselves so deeply that only the head 

 and a small portion of the back protrude above the 

 surface. 



The Buffalo's One cannot sufficiently admire the 

 Actions and master}- by the Buffaloes of the art 

 Movements, f sw imming. They act as if water 

 was their proper element, for they dive, lie on their 

 sides or half on their backs, and either permit them- 

 selves to comfortably float without stirring, or swim 

 straight across a stream, except for the slight dis- 

 tance they are drifted down by the current. On 

 land the Buffalo impresses one as being much 

 clumsier than it appears in the water. Its walk 

 is shambling and lumbering and its running gait, 

 though tolerably swift, is also an awkward, halting 

 mode of progression. 



When one first meets tame Buffaloes, he is apt to 

 become really frightened. The expression of their 

 faces indicates ineradicable defiance and smoulder- 

 ing ferocity; the expression of their eyes seems to 

 signify a deceitful, base disposition. The observer 

 soon becomes convinced, however, that it would be 

 totally wrong to judge a Buffalo by its external ap- 

 pearance. In some countries, certainly in Egypt, it 

 is an extremely good-natured animal, which every 

 peasant will unhesitatingly and safely trust to the 

 guidance of the weakest child. Buffaloes appear 

 indifferent to everything except food or drink. 

 Propagation and In the more northern regions, in 

 Economic Value of Februarv or March, the Buffalo cow 

 the Buffaloes. usually gives birth to a calf. The 

 little one is an ungainly creature, but the mother 

 loves it tenderly and defends it from harm with the 

 well-known heroic courage of the Ox tribe. In its 

 fourth or fifth year the Buffalo is mature ami it may 

 live for about eighteen or twenty years. 



