AFRICAN B UFFALO 



73 



sinian) for B. c. cequinoctialis, which was first named on the evidence 

 of a skull brought by Consul Petherick from East Central Africa, but 

 is also known to occur on the White Nile. The tips of the horns are 

 short, less than a third of the whole horn-length ; they taper rapidly, 

 and are directed more inwards than backwards, while their axis forms 

 an angle of about 56° with that of the basal portion, which is much 

 thickened. 



The Senegambian buffalo {B. c.planiceros) may be distinguished from 

 the preceding by the nearly cylindrical bases of the horns (fig. 26), which 

 are not markedly thickened, and the gradual tapering of the terminal 

 portion ; this being directed upwards and strongly inwards and back- 



FlG. 25. — Horns of the Limpopo Buft'alo, from a siiecimen shot 



on the Sabi river. 



Mr. F. H. Earlier 



wards, with its axis forming an angle of about 80' with that of the 

 basal portion. 



In addition to these there is the Semliki buffalo {B. c. cottoiiz), 

 described by myself in the Field of January 5, 1907, which is red 

 when immature, and dark brown or blackish when fully adult (at all 

 events in the case of the bulls). I am not in a position to compare 

 its horns with those of the other members of the red group, but it 

 differs from the Kivu race in having the tail-tip black in place of white. 



In regard to the subdivision of the buffaloes of southern Africa by 

 Dr. Matschie, the following comments were furnished by Mr. F. C. 

 Selous to the Field for January 1908 (vol. cxi. p. 71) : — 



" It would be of interest to know the number of skulls and horns 

 on which Dr. Matschie has based his conclusions as to the distinctness 



