THE INDIAN BUFFALO. 603 



The Indian Buffalo, Bubalus buffelus, measures in length nine to 

 ten feet, including the tail, and stands nearly five feet high. The head is 

 short and broad, the neck thick, with folds in front, but without a dew- 

 lap, the body full and round, and raised at the chine, the tail pretty short, 

 and the legs have long broad hoofs, capable of being widely outspread. 

 The eye has a wild defiant look, the horizontal ear is long and broad. 

 The long, strong, smooth horns, thick and broad at the roots, have a 

 triangular section ; they rise close together, and at first curve outward 

 and downward, then backward and upward, and finally turn inward and 

 forward. The sparse, stiff, bristle-like hair is rather longer on the fore- 

 head and shoulders, while the hind-quarters, breast, belly, and most part 

 of the leg are bare. Thus the color of the dark-gray or black hide is 

 more prominent than that of bluish, brown, or reddish hair. White and 

 piebald specimens are rare. 



This animal frequents wet and marshy localities, being sometimes 

 called the Water Buffalo on account of its aquatic predilections. It is a 

 most fierce and dangerous animal, savage to a marvellous degree, and 

 not hesitating to charge any animal that may arouse its ready ire. An 

 angry buffalo has been known to attack a tolerably-sized elephant, and by 

 a vigorous charge in the ribs to prostrate its huge foe. Even the tiger is 

 found to quail before the buffalo, and displays the greatest uneasiness in 

 its presence. 



The buffalo, indeed, seems to be animated by a rancorous hatred 

 toward the tiger, and if it should come inadvertently on one of the brin- 

 dled objects of its hate, will at once rush forward to the attack. Taking 

 advantage of this peculiarity, the native princes are in the habit of 

 amusing themselves with combats between tigers and trained buffaloes. 

 The arena is always prepared by the erection of a lofty and strongly- 

 built palisade, composed of bamboos set perpendicularly, and bound 

 together upon the outside. The object of this contrivance is, that, the 

 surface of the bamboo being hard and slippery, the tiger's claws may 

 find no hold in case of an attempted escape. 



The tiger is first turned into the arena, and generally slinks round its 

 circumference, seeking for a mode of escape, and ever and anon looking 

 up to the spectators, who are placed in galleries that overlook the scene 

 of combat. When the tiger has crept to a safe distance from the door, 

 the buffalo is admitted. On perceiving the scent of the tiger, it imme- 

 diately becomes excited, its hairs bristle up, its eyes begin to flash, and 



