THE EDINBURGH 



JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



APRIL, 1839. 



ZOOLOGY. 



OXEN BUFFALOES EOS BUBALUS. 



Although much has recently been done to illustrate what has been 

 called the Bovine tribe of animals, more familiarly known as Oxen, yet 

 much still remains to be effected. The whole group is, by most Natu- 

 ralists, following Baron Cuvier, classed as one genus, namely, that of Bos, 

 and all the associate animals are considered merely as so many species 

 and varieties. This renders the genus very extensive, almost too much 

 so for convenient study ; and, besides, so many and such marked differ- 

 ences abound, that it seems expedient to carry the subdivision somewhat 

 further. This, accordingly, has been done by some eminent Zoologists ; 

 and hence, in addition to the ovibus genus of M. de Blainville, at present 

 composed, we believe, of the Musk-Ox alone, three sub-genera have 

 been proposed, viz. the Bos or genuine Oxen, with their innumerable 

 varieties, in almost every part of the world; the Bison, including the 

 American Bison, and several other animals ; and, thirdly, the Bubalus 

 or Buffalo group, some of which are familiar domesticated animals, whilst 

 others are wild. It should here be observed that this term Wild, as 

 applied to cattle, is used in widely different senses. As is well known, 

 the domestic Spanish breed was transported to South America soon after 

 its discovery. There they found a most congenial climate and soil, and 

 the race soon exceeded the requirements of the settlers, and ranged in 

 innumerable thousands over the fertile Pampas. These cattle, far re- 

 moved from the haunts of man, soon became estranged from him, acquired 

 new tastes and habits, and in many respects exhibited a perfect contrast 

 to their still domesticated relatives. Nor is this to be considered as a 

 solitary occurrence- Under such circumstances the cattle are denominated 

 wild cattle, and they acquire many claims to the appellation. But though 

 their habits are changed, their nature, it appears, is not ; and experience 

 has shown that by a little trouble, and patient management, even the 

 adult animals may, in a few weeks, be afresh brought under the control 

 of man. Very different, however, is it with some other varieties distin- 

 guished as wild cattle, such, for example, as the African Buffalo, which it 

 would appear is as little susceptible of subjugation and domestication as 

 the Jaguar or the Tiger. This common appellation, applied in a two-fold 

 sense, together with the fact that certain changes are usually superinduced 

 on the external appearance, greatly augments the difficulty of arriving at 

 positive conclusions concerning the specific distinctions of many of the 

 animals that are subjected to our examination. 



Some of the animals in the Buffalo group are still considerably obscured 

 by the circumstance above alluded to, whilst others again have characters 

 so distinctly marked as to enable us at once to classify them with tame 

 animals, or with wild beasts. Upon the whole, the Buffaloes, like the 

 more familiar oxen, are usually of a .large stature, low in proportion to 

 their bulk, and supported upon strong and heavy limbs. The head too 

 is large; the forehead, though narrow, is remarkably strong and convex; 

 the chaffron is straight and fiat, and terminated by a broad muzzle ; the 

 horns are flat, bend laterally, and somewhat backwards, and are not, 

 therefore, very fit for goring ; the ears are large, and never erect ; the 

 eyes too are large. They have no hump on the shoulders, and the dew- 

 lap is small ; the back is rather straight, the hide more or less covered 

 with hair, and the tail long and slender. They avoid hills, and prefer 

 the neighbourhood of water ; they swim well, and pass the broadest rivers 

 without hesitation. Their gait is commonly heavy and unwieldy ; and 

 being principally guided by the sense of smell, they carry their head low. 



In their combats they butt with their foreheads, try to toss their foe, and 

 crush him under their knees. 



Passing by all the more doubtful varieties, we shall now give a short 

 description of the Common Tame Buffalo, and the Wild African one. 

 The Tame Buffalo (Bos bubalus, Linn.) seems originally to have been a 

 native of Eastern Asia, and its Archipelago. It is well known in China 

 and Cochin-China ; it is the great beast of burden in Sumatra and Java, 

 and is the common animal food. In Ceylon, it is found wild as well as 

 tame. It abounds in the Malabar, in Hindostan, and Coromandel ; also 

 in Persia and the Crimea. It seems to have been introduced into Europe 

 about the seventh century, and was unknown to the Ancients, whilst it is 

 now common and abundant in Egypt, Greece, Italy, and the other south- 

 eastern parts of Europe. The Lombard historian Warnefried informs us 

 that their first appearance in Italy excited the greatest surprise, whereas 

 they now graze, almost unobserved, in numerous herds. Their milk is 

 excellent ; their hide very strong, and their flesh but slightly esteemed. 

 The forehead of this animal is convex and bulging, and higher than broad. 

 In its habits it is almost amphibious, and it is peculiarly fond of the long 

 rank herbage which springs up in moist and undrained countries. Hence 

 its love of the Pontine marshes, where, according to Scaliger, it will be 

 for hours submerged almost to the muzzle, — a habit which, according to 

 M. Quoy, it equally exhibits in the Island of Timor in the Southern 

 Ocean. Its stature varies according to the circumstances of food and 

 climate. The Hungarian and Italian breeds are almost eight and a half 

 feet long, and five feet high at the shoulders ; the hair is scattered, loose, 

 and black ; and the tail long, terminated by a tuft. The hide is of a pur- 

 plish black hue; in India, almost naked; in Egypt, sometimes totally 

 without hair ; and in the Indian Archipelago, the anterior half is occa- 

 sionally covered with long hair, and the posterior is bare. It varies also 

 to rufous, and white occurs in some breeds. The Buffalo is at all times 

 of a somewhat doubtful docility. It is possessed of great strength for 

 burden and the plough, two, it is alleged, being equal to four Horses. 

 Their milk, in most warm countries, is indifferent, and their flesh worse. 

 In India, they furnish the milk from which the liquid butter named Ghee 

 is prepared. In that country the native herdsmen have very much sub- 

 dued them, and they ride on their favourites, and spend the nights with 

 them in the midst of jungles and forests without dread of the surrounding 

 wild beasts, which are terrified for them. When driven along, the herds 

 keep close together, so that the driver, if necessary, walks from the back 

 of one to another without much inconvenience. In Italy and Hungary 

 they are managed by means of a ring passed through the cartilage of the 

 nose ; in India it is a mere rope. A dwarf variety is described by Pen- 

 nant, but it seems to be of the same species. The character and formid- 

 able powers even of these tame animals is admirably illustrated by the 

 following incident, related by Mr D. Johnson. Two carriers were driv- 

 ing a loaded string of these Buffaloes from Palamow to Chittrah. When 

 within a few miles of the latter place, a Tiger seized the man in the rear. 

 This was seen by a herdsman who was watching his Buffaloes grazing; 

 and he immediately ran to the man's assistance, and cut the Tiger very se- 

 verely with his sword ; upon which it dropped the carrier and attacked 

 the herdsman. The Buffaloes immediately observed this; in their turn they 

 attacked the Tiger, and rescued the herdsman ; they tossed it from one to 

 another, and to the best of my recollection killed it. Both the wounded 

 men were brought to me ; the carrier recovered, the noble herdsman 



died (See Griffith' Cuvier.) 



The Cape Buffalo (Bos Coffer, Sparman) has sometimes been mistaken 



