544 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



Long-horned Indian Buffalo 



BUBALUS MACROCERUS Hodgson 



[Bubalus Arna\ var. Macrocerus Hodgson, Jour. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, vol. 10, 

 pt. 2, p. 912, 1841 (nomen nudum). 



[Bubalus] Macrocerus Hodgson, Jour. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, vol. 16, pt. 2, p. 

 710, 1847. ("India"; type locality restricted by Lydekker (1913c, vol. 1, 

 p. 45) to "Assam.") 



FIGS.: Philos. Trans. 1727, no. 397, pi., figs. 2, 3; Griffith, Anim. Kingdom, 

 vol. 4, pi. facing p. 366, fig. 2, 1827; Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1855, Mam- 

 malia, pi. 11; Ward, 1935, p. 313, fig. 



Extremely meager information is available concerning this ani- 

 mal, which now seems to be considered extinct. 



It was distinguished by Hodgson merely on the length and shape 

 of its horns. He speaks (1847, p. 710) of both long-horned animals 

 (macrocerus) and curve-horned animals (speirocerus) being found 

 in the wildernesses of India as well as in the cow-houses. "The 

 length of the horns of Macrocerus is sometimes truly enormous, or 

 6J feet each. There is such a pair in the British Museum, and an- 

 other pair I saw in Tirhut." He also says: " Whether they be sepa- 

 rate species or merely varieties, I shall not venture to decide, but 

 I incline to regard them as species." 



The apparently sporadic occurrence of this form in the domesti- 

 cated as well as in the wild herds of Buffaloes suggests that it is 

 not entitled to recognition as either a species or a subspecies, but 

 represents merely an individual variation in both Bubalus bubalis 

 bubalis and B. b. arnee. 



"The alleged difference [between the two forms] ... is cer- 

 tainly not sufficient to warrant their receiving different scientific 

 names" (Kinloch, 1892, p. 124) . 



Lydekker remarks (1913c, vol. 1, p. 45) : "Characterized by the 

 great length and outward direction of the horns, which turn up- 

 wards only towards the extremities. Whether the difference in this 

 respect from the typical representative of the species is of racial or 

 merely of dimorphic value, has yet to be determined. 



"These long-horned buffaloes are natives of Assam and Kuch- 

 Behar; but horns of a very similar type occur in Malaya, although 

 it is not known whether they belong to wild or tame animals." 



"Both types may be found together in the same herd and there 

 is much inter-grading between the two forms. . . . The largest 

 known horn a cow's is 77| ins. in length. Giants of this size must 

 be exceptional." (Anonymous, 1933, p. 31.) 



In Assam "the great-horned variety, macroceros, formerly existed 

 on the Monas, but had been practically shot out before the forma- 

 tion of the Sanctuary. The writer was fortunate enough to meet 

 the last survivor, a well-known cow, at least a hand higher than 



