1904.] 



NEW FORM OP BUFFALO. 



165 



it may be mentioned that two Cape Buffaloes in the British 

 Museum^ have a well- developed coat of black hair. 



As this Buffalo has obviou.sly nothing to do with the one from 

 East Africa recentl}^ described by Mr. Thomas*, I propose to 

 regard it as a new race, under the title of Bos caffer mathewsi 

 {cf. Abstr. P. Z. S. 1904, no. 9, p. 10, June 14), the Museum spe- 

 cimens being of course the types. It may be shortly defined as a 

 race of the approximate size of B. c. ncm.us, but with the abundant 

 hair black instead of red, and the tail-tuft white ; the horns being 

 at the same time larger, more curved outwardly, and then inclined 

 backwards near the lateral bend. 



Text-fig. 31. 



Front view of skull of male Buffalo, Bos (Bithalus) caffer matliewsi, from 

 the Mfumbiro district of East Central Africa. -J~ nat. size. 



I always feel I owe an apology to naturalists when adding to 

 the list of subspecies ; but the present form has certainly claim 

 to recognition, on account of its tending to connect the Cape with 

 the Congo Buffalo — two forms which at one time I had some 

 compunction in regarding as specifically the same. 



* P. Z. S. 1904, vol. i. p. 371. 



