ORDER ARTIODACTYLA: EVEN-TOED UNGULATES 543 



danger of disease to which they are most susceptible" (Bombay 

 Natural History Society, in litt., December, 1936). 



Referring primarily to the domesticated animals, Peacock says 

 (1933, p. 122) : "Buffaloes seldom show any fear of tigers or 

 panthers. They have any amount of courage and will readily 

 charge and fight with any tiger that attempts to molest them. As 

 a rule, tigers leave buffaloes very much alone, but a large tiger, 

 if it happens to be very hungry, will kill a solitary buffalo." 



Domestication. Domesticated Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis bu- 

 balis (Linnaeus)) of various parts of the world are generally 

 regarded as descendants of the Wild Indian Buffalo, and it has 

 been a common practice to apply the same technical name to both. 



Hamilton Smith writes (1827, p. 393) : 



The Bhain of India [designated as "Bos Bubalus 1 ' and distinguished from 

 the wild "Bos Ami"] may be regarded as the true stock of the Domestic 

 Buffaloes of Southern and Western Asia, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. 

 Little doubt can be raised, that in India that animal was first subdued, per- 

 haps, by means of the intelligence and powers of the Elephant, who alone 

 could compel it to subjection; from thence, commerce or remote military 

 expeditions seem to have introduced it into Tartary and Eastern Persia, till 

 by either of these means the Domestic Buffalo was found on the shores of 

 the Caspian. Here they resided at the time of the Macedonian invasion .... 

 They were found by the Mahomedan Arabs in Persia, and during their 

 wars bfought westward into Syria, and Egypt. Baron Cuvier . . . proves 

 the pilgrims and writers concerning Palestine to have noticed them by the 

 name of Buflus, early in the eighth century, and we have already seen at what 

 period [sixth century] they reached Italy. 



In India "tame buffaloes are chiefly kept for milk and for 

 draught" (Blanford, 1891, p. 493). 



"At the present day buffaloes are met with in a more or less 

 completely domesticated state throughout the Malay countries, a 

 large portion of China, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Persia, Mesopo- 

 tamia, Syria, Hungary, the landes of Gascony, Italy, and, I believe, 

 Spain, as well as Egypt, Algeria, Tunis, and probably Morocco" 

 (Lydekker, 19126, pp. 182-183). Lydekker goes on to describe 

 (pp. 184-186) several of the "numerous more or less well-defined 

 local breeds" in India. 



[No information is at hand concerning the numerical status of 

 the Upper Assam Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis fulvus 1 (Blanford)), 

 which is distinguished by its dun color and by skull characters. 

 "The range incMtes the Mishmi Hills as well as Upper Assam" 

 (Lydekker, 1913c, vol. 1, p. 46).] 



1 Bos bubalus var. fulvus Blanford, Fauna Brit. India, Mammalia, p. 492, 

 1891; type locality, "Upper Assam." 



