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CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE BUFFALO (BUBALUS). 



The powerful animals known by this name are found in their wild 

 state in Africa and India, and in a tame condition over Asia, North 

 Africa, and the south of Europe. 



The Indian buffalo (Bubalus buffalus) is a species perfectly dis- 

 tinct from its congener at the Cape. It is this animal which has 

 been domesticated, and in this condition has been spread over the 

 other countries of Asia, also over Egypt, and into Greece, Italy, 

 and Spain. Its strength, endurance, and hardihood make it a very 

 valuable beast of burden, and, strange to say, although it has been 

 bred and employed by man for ages, yet the race exhibits but little 

 variation from its original form, as is still shown in the wild 

 animals of the same species. 



Its introduction into Italy was somewhere towards the end of the 

 sixth century, and in course of time it became thoroughly natu- 

 ralized. Some of the old Italian chroniclers, who wrote about this 

 period, describe the " wild ox from pagan lands " as of fierce dis- 

 position, and, in consequence of its great strength, enormous horns, 

 red eyes, and savage aspect, as creating great terror in the minds 

 of the people. However, its evident utility soon overcame any fear 

 which its appearance may have inspired, for the great breadth of 

 its feet, which somewhat resemble those of a reindeer, enabled it to 

 traverse the swampy, marshy districts so abundant in Italy, where 

 the roads were frequently two and three feet deep in mud, and as 

 a beast of burden it had therefore a decided advantage in localities 

 of this description over the horse and ordinary ox. It was also 

 soon discovered that the buffalo throve best in the malaria-infected 

 districts, and even to this day those animals that feed on the pesti- 



