454 SIR VICTOR BROOKE ON AFRICAN BUFFALOES, [June I, 
10. Supplementary Notes on African Buffaloes. 
By Sir Vicror Brooxg, Bart. F.Z.S. 
[Received June 1, 1875.] 
(Plate LIV.) 
Since the publication of my paper on African Buffaloes in the 
Society’s Proceedings for 1873 a large mass of material has passed 
under my observation, enabling me in some degree to confirm, and 
in some degree to modify the opinions expressed in that communica- 
tion. In my former paper I grouped my observations under two 
heads :—first, as to the identity of the Bos pumilus of Turton with 
the Bubalus brachyceros of Gray ; second, upon the possible identity 
of the smaller species of Buffalo of Eastern Africa mentioned by 
Heuglin and others with Budalus pumilus. 
For the convenience of comparison and reference, I will adhere to 
the same order in the remarks which follow. 
First, as to the identity of the Bos pumilus of Turton with the 
Bubalus brachyceros of Gray. My conviction of the specific identity 
of the types upon which these names were conferred rested in 1873 
chiefly upon the two following facts :—first, that the skulls of the 
FEMALE. Buffaloes brought by Dr. Baikie from his Niger expedition 
resemble in every important particular the specimens brought from 
Central Africa by Captain Clapperton, which latter are the types of 
Bubalus brachyceros ; and, second, that a small Buffalo’s skull and 
horns in my own collection (P. Z. 8S. 1873, p. 475. figs. 1 & 2) pre- 
sent characters exactly intermediate between the type of Budbalus 
pumilus and the skulls and horns of the MALE Buffaloes brought by 
Dr. Baikie from the Niger, and Pel from the Gold Coast. It there- 
fore appeared to me natural to conclude that the specimen named 
Bos pumilus by Turton represented the male of the same species as 
that on which Dr. Gray 30 years subsequently conferred the name 
Bubalus brachyceros, upon an examination of female specimens. 
The localities from which both the type of Bubalus pumilus and 
my own specimen were obtained being unknown, however, constituted 
a serious gap in my chain of facts. This gap Iam now, through the 
kindness of Mr. Walker, enabled in large measure to fill—he having 
lately sent me from the Gaboon the skull and horns of a Buffalo, 
which so exactly resemble my specimen as to leave no doubt that 
both are referable to the same species, namely the small Buffalo of 
Western Equatorial Africa. In addition to this I have lately seen 
in the Zoological Gardens at Antwerp a very fine living female of 
the West-African Buffalo, which was sent about a year ago, direct 
from Sierra Leone. 
A comparison of Mr. Wolf’s beautiful coloured sketch of this spe- 
cimen (Plate LIV.), and of the detailed description of it which I shall 
give presently, with M. Du Chaillu’s description of the “ Niaré” of 
Equatorial Africa (Expl. Eq. Afr. p. 175), proves beyond doubt the 
specific identity of the Buffaloes of Sierra Leone and of that country. 
