406 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL IXDIA. 



not extend south of the Narbadc4, the truth is that the 

 animal is unknown to the nortli of it, in the longitude 

 of that river. It has been stated that the feral buffaloes 

 of these parts are only the descendants of tame ones run 

 wild, an idea that will not hold water for a second. 

 They have all the habits of fully wild animals, are 

 extremely numerous in the parts they inhabit, and 

 exactly correspond in size and every particular with 

 the aboriginally wild buffaloes of Eastern Bengal. Two 

 varieties are recognised in India, differing chiefly in 

 the length and shape of the horns. They have been 

 called by Hodgson, B. Macroceros, and B. Speiroceros, 

 the horns of the former being long, straight, and more 

 slender, and of the latter, shorter, thicker, and more 

 curved. All the Central Indian species that I have 

 seen pertain to the latter race, the average length of 

 the horns of a laature bull beinsf three-and-a-half to 



O 



four feet. No animal has changed so little in domes- 

 tication as the buffalo. In appearance the wild animal 

 is extremely like the tame one, but fully a third larger, 

 and showing fine, plump, sleek condition, instead of 

 the slouching, scraggy appearance of the domestic 

 "buff," and possessing the free action and air of a 

 denizen of the wilds. I have never heard an authentic 

 case of their interbreedino^ with the domestic race, 

 though individuals of the latter sometimes join the 

 wild herds, and become difficult to reclaim. h\ height 

 I have never seen a wild buOalo exceed sixteen hands ; 

 but though thus less in stature than the bison, the 

 bufi"alo stands on much shorter legs, and is altogether 

 a heavier-built animal, so that in bulk and weiirht he 

 must a good deal exceed the wild bull of the hills. 

 They never interfere with each other, the bison adhering 

 to hilly tracts, while the buffalo is essentially a lover of 



