KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIBNS HANDLINQAR. BAND 48. N:0 5. 179 



The animal was in good condition with the other teeth moderately worn, but 

 the first premolar is very much worn down and appears to indicate a phylogenetic 

 reduction of that tooth. 



Buffelus caffer raddiffei Thomas. 



Thomas: Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1904, p. 371 & 464. 



The splendid Buffaloes of those parts of British East Africa where I had the 

 opportunity of collecting my zoological material belong apparently to the same race 

 which Thomas described from Uganda under the name above. 



The first Buffaloes observed by this expedition were seen between Luazomela 

 and Itiolu rivers. The » safari* went across an open grass steppe, but several hundred 

 metres to our left was a thick and extensive thornbush patch in which the Buffaloes 

 were completely hidden. When we had advanced so that the wind blowing across 

 our path and towards the thornbush patch reached the Buffaloes they broke out on 

 the further side of their hiding place in a heavy gallop, their big black bodies sur- 

 rounded with clouds of dust. 



Next time we found Buffaloes on the southern side of Guaso Nyiri near the 

 crossing of the Marsabit road. At this locality as well their covert consisted of thorn- 

 bush of different kind among which a certain large funnel-shaped and flattopped 

 acacia-bush was most prominent. It appeared striking to me to find Buffaloes in 

 such a dry place as this, as in my mind I mostly had associated these animals with 

 swamps, reed beds, and water. The water was, of course, not far off in the Guaso 

 Nyiri river and some of its tributaries, but there was not a green straw of any kind 

 to be seen. The soil was so dry that a cloud of dust arose when the Buffaloes 

 moved. I got the opportunity of stalking and shooting a fine cow ^Va 1911 in this 

 thornbush. When found she stood resting with her head close under one of the 

 funnel shaped acacias. Her height in straight line at the shoulders was 138 cm. 

 and the distance from muffle to vent 225 cm. The shape and direction af the 

 horns may be seen from the accompanying figures (fig. 5 a & b). 



On the northern side of Guaso Nyiri Buffaloes live here and there in the 

 thornbush, especially below Chanler Falls. Some distance below this place I had 

 — the opportunity of shooting a magnificent herd bull in its best stage of deve- 

 lopment before the tips of the horns had begun to be worn off. It measured 

 from the root of the tail to the posterior margin of the horn bosses 223 cm. Its 

 height above the shoulders was 150 cm. The palms of the horns were quite close 

 together, as can be seen from the fig. (PL XV fig. 3), when the animal just was 

 shot, but in drying they have shrunk apart. Their width across is in a dry state 

 27 cm. The greatest width outside is 104 cm., inside 93 cm. Distance between the 

 tips 80 cm. The horns of the African Buffaloes vary even in the same herd, some 

 are more widely laid out some are more strongly curved. The difference in appea- 

 rance in different stages of age is very striking. When the horns have attained a 



