206 UNGULATES. 



might be caused by other animals ; and where the horns have not been seen it is 

 only by the strong, sweet bovine scent similar to, but much more powerful than, 

 that of cows that one can be absolutely certain of what is in front of one." In 

 such jungles, needless to say, shooting (or indeed advancing at all) on foot is out 

 of the question, and the only method of procedure is by beating with a line of 

 elephants. 



In their wild state these buffaloes are always found in herds, which may 

 comprise fifty or more individuals. Mr. Blanford states that " they feed chiefly on 

 grass, in the evening, at night, and in the morning ; and lie down, generally in 

 high grass, not unfrequently in a marsh, during the day ; they are by no means 

 shy, nor do they appear to shun the neighbourhood of man, and they commit great 

 havoc amongst growing crops. Sometimes a herd or a solitary bull will take 

 possession of a field and keep off the men who own it. In fact buffaloes are by 

 far the boldest and most savage of the Indian Bovidce, and a bull not unfrequently 

 attacks without provocation, though (probably on the principle that a council of 

 war never fights) a herd, although all will gallop to within a short distance of an 

 intruder and make most formidable demonstrations, never, I believe, attacks any- 

 one who does not run away from them. A wounded animal of either sex often 

 charges, and has occasionally been known to knock an elephant down. Buffaloes 

 retain their courage in captivity, and a herd will attack a tiger or other dangerous 

 animal without hesitation, and, although gentle with those they know and greatly 

 attached to them, they are inclined to be hostile to strange men and strange 

 animals. Whether wild or tame they delight in water, and often during the heat 

 of the day lie down in shallow places with only parts of their heads above the 

 surface." The same author remarks that few animals have changed less in 

 captivity than tame buffaloes, which never interbreed with the humped Indian 

 cattle. The calves are born in summer, and there are not unfrequently two at 

 a birth. In walking, the Indian buffalo always carries its head low down. 

 Fossil Indian Remains of the Indian buffalo occur fossil in the gravels of the 



Buffaloes. Narbada valley, and likewise in parts of the Punjab. The broad- 

 horned buffalo (B. platyceros) of the Siwalik Hills of Northern India, was, how- 

 ever, a perfectly distinct extinct species, characterised by the broad triangular horns 

 being placed closer together on the forehead, and directed rather forwards than 

 backwards, so that the forehead is nearly flat ; they are also placed more below 

 the plane of the occiput. Other extinct Siwalik buffaloes (B. occipitalis and 

 B. acuticornis) were of smaller size, and their skulls like those of the tamarao 

 and anoa; the horns rising upwards in the plane of the face, with but slight 

 divergence or curvature, and their cross-section either triangular or pear-shaped. 



The tamarao of the Philippines (B. mindorensis) is a sturdily- 

 built dwarf buffalo, connecting the preceding with the following 

 species. It stands about 3 \ feet in height, and has coarse thick blackish brown hair. 

 The horns, although massive, are comparatively short, and rise upwards in the plane 

 of the face with a lyrate curvature ; they are distinctly triangular, with the largest 

 face in front, and are somewhat roughened. In its massive horns, thick legs, and 

 uniform coloration, this species comes nearer to the Indian buffalo than to the 

 .anoa. 



