XXIV 

 THE BUFFALO 



THE Cape Buffalo is one of the four dangerous 

 kinds of African big game; of which the other 

 three are the lion, the rhinoceros, and the elephant. 

 These latter are familiar to us in zoological gardens, 

 although the African and larger form of the 

 rhinoceros and elephant are seldom or never seen 

 in captivity. But buffaloes are as yet unrepresented 

 in our living collections. They are huge beasts, tre- 

 mendous from any point of view, whether considered 

 in height, in mass, or in power. At the shoulder 

 they stand from just under five feet to just under 

 six feet in height; they are short legged, heavy bodied 

 bull necked, thick in every dimension. In colour 

 they are black as to hair, and slate gray as to skin; 

 so that the individual impression depends on the 

 thickness of the coat. They wear their horns parted 

 in the middle, sweeping smoothly away in the curves 

 of two great bosses either side the head. A good 

 trophy will measure in spread from forty inches to 

 four feet. Four men will be required to carry in the 



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