INDEFINITE DEFINITIONS OF COL. SMITH. 173 



Subgeneric characters should be such as will clearly 

 distinguish the animals of one sub-genus from those of 

 another. But here we have set down, in the sub- genus 

 Bubalus, tail long, slender; in the sub-genus Taurus, tail 

 long ; and although the epithet slender is not added in 

 the latter case, yet in truth it ought to be, as the tail of 

 Taurus is quite as slender as that of Bubalus. 



The udder of Bubalus is said to have four inammse ; 

 they are not stated to be in a square, but, on examination, 

 I find they are so ; the udder of Taurus has likewise four 

 teats in a square. 



Thirteen pairs of ribs are set down as a distinguishing 

 character of the sub- genus Taurus ; but the Cape Buffalo, 

 Domestic Buffalo, and the Manilla Buffalo (in the sub- 

 genus Bubalus), and the Gaur (in the sub-genus Bison), 

 all possess thirteen pairs of ribs. 



In the sub- genus Bison the tail is said to be shorter 

 than the tail of Bubalus ; but on subjecting them to the 

 infallible test of feet and inches, I find the tails of the 

 Aurochs, Gaur, Yak, and Gayal, to be decidedly longer 

 than those of the Cape or the Manilla Buffalo. 



The legs of Bisons are stated to be more slender than 

 those of Buffaloes, the reverse of this is the fact in the 

 instances which I have had an opportunity of observing. 



SPECIFIC DETAILS. 



The details of a system of scientific classification should 

 be precise, methodical, and consistent; hut the method 

 observed by Col. Smith, in describing the lengths of 

 animals, can scarcely be called either precise or consistent ; 

 for example, he states : 



