362 UNGULATA 



B. caffer from South Africa the colour is black, the horns of the male 

 are very thick, much reflected, and closely approximated on the 

 forehead, where they form a helmet-like mass. 1 The large northern 

 form described as B. cequinoctialis has the horns somewhat less thick, 

 and thus approximates to the so-called B. pumilus. 



The latter occurs typically in Western Africa, where it has also 

 been described as B. brachyceros. In the typical form the horns are 

 thinner and less reflected than in B. coffer, and in some specimens 

 they are more widely separated on the forehead, and are marked at 

 their bases by distinct rugse. The colour is ruddy brown, inclining 

 to rufous in one specimen. The skulls of Buffaloes from West 

 Africa, probably referable to the form described as B. centralis, appear 

 to connect B. pumilus with B. caffer, as shown by their larger size 

 and the form of their horns ; so that further observations are 

 required to show whether the smaller form is really entitled to 

 rank as a distinct species, or merely as a well-marked local race. 



The second group comprises the Bisons, which are more nearly 

 allied to the true Oxen, having similar rounded horns, but the skull 

 being less massive, with a longer and more tapering frontal region, 

 and a wider frontal diameter. The superior part of the forehead 

 is transversely arched, the intercornual space elevated in the 

 middle, the horns situated below the plane of the occiput, and 

 the orbits more or less prominent. The premaxillse do not extend 

 upwards to reach the nasals. The Bisons (Fig. 148) have the body 

 covered with short, crisp, woolly hair, while on the head and neck 

 there is an abundance of much longer and darker hair, which forms 

 a mane concealing the eyes, ears, and the bases of the horns. There 

 is also a long beard beneath the chin ; while a line of long hair 

 extends from the head nearly to the tail, the latter being tufted 

 at the extremity. The withers are much higher than the hind 

 quarters, so that there is a kind of hump at the shoulders. 



The group is represented by two species the European and 

 the American Bison. The former is the Bos bonasus of Linnaeus, 

 and is also identical with the Bos bison of Ray. The German name 

 Wisent is the equivalent of the Greek Bison. The American 

 species is the Bos americanus of Gmelin. Both species are closely 

 allied, but the American Bison is slightly the smaller animal of 

 the two, and is shorter and weaker in the hind quarters, with 

 a smaller pelvis ; its body is, however, more massive in front ; 

 and the hair on the head, neck, and fore quarters is longer and 

 more luxuriant. A large bull American Bison, preserved in the 

 Museum at Washington, stands 5 feet 8 inches in height at the 

 withers. The European Bison appears to have been formerly 



1 Sir V. Brooke states that this species is distinguished from B. pumilus by 

 the absence of a fringe to the ears, but specimens in the British Museum show 

 that this is not the case. 



