492 



VERTEBRATA. 



THREE LIONS ATTACKING A WOUNDED BUFFALO. 



account having been famished by a friend : "Oswell and I were riding — 15tli September, 1846 

 — along the banks of the Limpopo, when a water-buck started in front of us. I dismounted, and 

 following it through the jungle, when three buffaloes got up, and after going a little distance, 

 stood still, and the nearest bull turned round and looked at me. A ball from the two-ouncer 

 crashed into his shoulder, and they all three made off. Oswell and I followed as soon as I had 

 reloaded, and when we were in sight of the buffalo, and gaining on him at every stride, three lions 

 leaped on the unfortunate brute; he bellowed most lustily as he kept up a kind of running fight, 

 hut lie was, of course, soon overpowered and pulled down. "We had a fine view of the struggle, 

 and saw the lions on their hinddegs tearing away with teeth and claws in most ferocious style. 

 We crept up within thirty yards, and kneeling down, blazed away at the lions. My rifle was a 

 single barrel, and I had no spare gun. One lion fell dead almost on the buffalo ; he had merely 

 time to turn toward us, seize a bush with his teeth, and drop dead with the stick in his jaws. The 

 second made off immediately, ami the third raised his head, coolly looked round for a moment, 

 then went on tearing and biting at the carcass as hard as ever. We retired a short distance to 

 load, then again advanced and fired. The lion made off, but a ball that he received ought to have 

 stopped him, as it went clean through his shouldcr-hlade. He was followed up and killed after 

 having charged several times. Both lions were males. It is not often that one bags a brace of 

 lions and a bull buffalo in about ten minutes." 



Beside this formidable species, Africa contains another, called by the negroes of Bornou, whew 

 it is common, theZAMOusE; by the English of Siena Leone, Bush Cow; by naturalists, B. brachf- 

 cerus. It differs essentially from all other species, the forehead being flat, the horns short, thick, 

 and depressed at the base; ears large, and slightly fringed at the edge; the hair close, short, and v 

 of a reddish-brown color. It is also entirely destitute of dewlap. This kind of buffalo seems to 

 live in consideraUe herds in the forests of Central and Western Africa, and though less ferocious 

 than the B. Cafer, is still a large, wild, and powerful species. 



Subgenus OVIBOS : Ooibos. — Of this there is a single species, the Musk Ox, 0. Moschatus, of • 



