384 ZOOLOGY 



of the great Congo Forest. (It is said, however, to be found in the forests 

 on the eastern side of Lake Albert Edward.) This creature would really 

 seem to be a degenerate development of the African buffalo, and not a 

 more primitive bovine. The least specialised of all the African buffaloes 

 is the Central African type, which is found in Kiagwe (a district of Uganda 

 2:)roper), and perhaps also in Karamojo and the north-eastern part of the 

 Xile Province. This animal has a much less marked development of frontal 

 boss on the horn than in Bos criffer and B. pmnilus. The horns are also 

 proportionately longer and flatter, and are turned more backwards towards 

 the neck than is the case with the South African buffalo. The Central 

 African type, therefore, makes an approximation to the Indian buffaloes. 

 The .South African buffalo once frequented the eastern, central, and western 

 districts of the Uganda Protectorate, as well as the Nile Province, in great 

 numbers. But the cattle plagues which began to ravage these countries 

 (coming thither from Dinkaland, between the White and Blue Niles) in 

 1883-4: and in subsequent years wrought such havoc among the buffaloes 

 that the South African species is now extinct in many parts of the 

 Uganda Protectorate, perhaps only lingering in Buddu (west of the 

 Victoria Nyanzaj, Ankole, Toro, Unyoro, and between the Nile and 

 Mount Elgon. The horns of this buffalo in Uganda scarcely differ in 

 size or develo^jment of frontal boss from those of South and South 

 Central Africa. The Uganda Nile Province almost marks the South 

 African buffalo's most nortliern limit of range, though this animal may 

 extend its distribution near the Nile to the vicinity of Fashoda. Its 

 ])lace is taken northwards by the Central African tvpe (ceguinoctialis), 

 the range of which in Central Uganda overlaps that of the South 

 African form, for the Central African buffalo reaches the shores of tlie 

 Victoria Nyanza in the District of Kiagwe, and is also found in Busoga. 



While dealing with the wild oxen of Ugauda, a few words might be 

 said here about the remarkable long-horned cattle of Ankole. This race 

 of domestic cattle, which is found in Southern Abyssinia and in Cala- 

 land, and wliieh reappears again in Ankole (west of Uganda) and tljence 

 southwards to Tanganyika, is characterised ordinarily by a straight back 

 without, or almost without, a hump over the shoulders and by horns of 

 gieat length. The horns have an outward and backward curve. They 

 are well illustrated by the accompanying photographs. This long-horned 

 breed has in many districts of Africa mingled with the other tropical 

 African race of domestic cattle, the humped zebu type so characteristic 

 of India. In the Central Province of Uganda most of the cattle are of 

 this mixed race. The long-horned type (not quite so pronounced) reappears 

 iu Africa south of the Zambezi. In a degenerate form also it is met 

 with in Western Africa in the [Nlandingo countries and Seneaambia. 



