164 THE BUFFALO, &c. 



name of bubalus. to thefe oxen ; for the bubalus 

 is an African animal, which refembies, in fome 

 meafure, a calf or a flag. Hence the bubalus is 

 a timid creature, his horns are uielefs to him, 

 and, to avoid the affaults of ferocious animals, 

 he has no other refource but flight ; of courfe, 

 he is nimble, and is related, by his figure, both 

 to the cow and the ltag. All thefe chara&ers, 

 none of which apply to the buffalo, are com- 

 bined in the animal whole figure was fent by Ho- 

 ratius-Fontana to Alclrovandus *, and of which 

 the Gentlemen of the Academy "f have likewife 

 given a figure and defcription, under the name 

 of the Barbary coiv ; and they agree with me in 

 thinking, that it is the bubalus of the ancients J. 

 The zebu, or frnall ox of Belon, has none of the 

 characters of the bubalus; for the zebu differs as 

 much from the bubalus as the ox from the an- 

 tilope; and Belon is the only naturalift who re- 

 garded this frnall ox as the bubalus of the an- 

 cients. 



4. The frnall ox of Belon is only a "variety of the 

 common ox. This pofition may be eafil'y proved 

 by {imply referring to the figure of the animal 

 given by Belon, Pi ofoer Alpinus, and Edwards, 

 and to our own defcription of it. We have feen 

 it alive: Its conductor told us, that it came from 



Africa, 



* Aldrov. de quad, bifalc. p. 365. 



f Mem. pour fervir a I'hift. des animaux, part. 2. p. 24. 

 t This animal ihould rather be regarded as the bubalus 

 of the ancients, than the fmall Africafi or. defcribed by Belon ; 

 td. ibid. p. z 0. 



