THE SMALLEST WILD CATTLE 



AMONG the larger mammals the species or varieties in- 

 habiting islands are more or less markedly inferior in 

 point of size to their nearest continental relatives. In 

 the case of the smaller islands, like Sardinia and Corsica, 

 the reason of such a diminution in stature is not far to 

 seek, and it is therefore not in the least surprising to 

 find that the Corsican red-deer is a very inferior edition 

 of its prototype of the mainland. The buffalo of the 

 small island of Mindoro, in the Philippines, is greatly 

 inferior in size to the wild buffaloes of the tall grass- 

 jungles of Assam. In the case of islands of the 

 dimensions of Sumatra and Borneo the reason of the 

 phenomenon is by no means apparent, especially when 

 we find them inhabited by a man-like ape (the orang- 

 utan) almost rivalling in bulk and stature the gorilla 

 of Western Africa. Nevertheless, even in such areas 

 the same feature is to a certain extent noticeable, the 

 wild buffalo of Borneo being considerably smaller than 

 its Indian relative. As regards its actual area, the 

 island of Celebes occupies a kind of intermediate position, 

 since it is much inferior in extent to either Sumatra or 

 Borneo, although far too extensive to come under the 

 denomination of a small island. From its peculiar shape, 

 which recalls the form often assumed by an amoeba, it has, 

 however, a much smaller area that could be enclosed by 



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