4 EINAR LONNBBRG, ANATOMICAL NOTES ON EAST AFRICAN MAMMALS. 



The number and arrangement of these ridges is thus on the whole in agreement 

 with the condition found in the Common Ox as has been beautifully illustrated by 

 G. Retzius/ although his figure represents the palate of a calf so that the situation 

 with regard to the permanent teeth is not seen. 



The papillce fungiformes are scattered over the basal portion of the tongue. 

 In the cow I did not see but two series of papillce vallatce on either side. They 

 contained 6 + 6 and 4+7 such papillae respectively. In the bull there were three 

 somewhat oblique and irregular rows of papillce vallatce on either side. The outer- 

 most of these contained 9 papillae on both sides of the tongue while the other rows 

 only consisted of resp. 3, 4, 5 and 6 papillae. This irregularity appears somewhat 

 strange but even in common cattle the number of papillce vallatce is variable from 

 10 to 17 on either side according to Ellenbeeger and Baxjm.^ 



The paunch of the African Buffalo is enormous and extends into the pelvic 

 region, but the abomasus is small. 



The spleen is rather thin and elongate, of approximately the same shape as in 

 common cattle, but larger. This organ measured in the Buffalo cow 70 x 30 cm., 

 and in the bull 60 X 17 V^ cm. According to Ellenberger & Baum this organ has 

 a breadth of 10 — 15 cm., and a length of 40 — 60 cm. in common cattle. The spleen 

 of the Buffalo is thus much larger. 



The liver of the Buffalo cow had a maximum transversal length of about 60 

 cm., and its width was about 23 cm. In the bull the corresponding measurements 

 were 62 cm. and 26 cm. The left lobe was 26 X 19 cm. Lobus caudatus had a 

 breadth of 7 cm. The Spigelian lobe was only present as a broad rounding which 

 does not project. The gallbladder extended in both sexes free beyond" the edge of 

 the liver. 



The colic spiral consisted of 6 coils, viz 2Va in each direction, and, like the 

 same organ of the common Ox, it had no peripheric coil. The absence of this latter 

 is a very important characteristic which unites all the members of the Taurine, or 

 Bovine group s. str. of Bovidce, from the pseudo-primitive Anoa to Bos taurus, in 

 opposition to all other Ruminants, not only those belonging to Bovidce, but also to 

 the members of Cervidce and Giraffidce as well. This pheripheric coil of the colon 

 has evidently the function of desiccating the faeces. The African Buffalo in which 

 this coil is wanting has therefore soft and loose excrements, quite similar to those 

 of Bos taurus, while the Giraffes, the Deer, the Antelopes, and the Sheep and Goats 

 have hard and dry, more or less bean-shaped droppings. The fact that the Bovine 

 group s. str. is unlike, not only the other Gavicornia in this respect, but also differs 

 from Gervicornia by the same characteristic, proves that the peripheric coil must have 

 been present in the ancestors of all the enumerated modern Ruminants, and that its 

 absence in the Bovine group is due to a secondary reduction. The question is then : 

 what has been the cause of such a reduction? The effect which the presence of the 



1 Biol. Untersuch. N. F. Bd. XIII, Taf. XXXVIII, Fig. 1. 

 ^ Handbuch d. vergl. Anatomie d. Haustiere, ll:te Aufl. 



