THE BUFFALO. 413 



fact that they are accustomed, when in their natural condition, to 

 retire during the heat of the day to shady and cool places. 



The Yak {Bos grunniens), or grunting ox, so called because the 

 sound it utters resembles to some extent the grunting of a pig, is 

 included by some naturalists among the buflFaloes. The opinion 

 also exists that it is identical n^ith the Indian animal described by 

 Mima, under the name of Poephagus, a word derived from two 

 Greek ones meaning "grass-eater," and Gray gives it in conse- 

 quence the name of Poephagus grunniens. 



To any one who does not know the animal by sight, the accom- 

 panying illustration will show some of its peculiarities. The 

 writers who surmise that it is of the same species as the Indian 

 buffalo, consider that to the change from the swampy jungles of 

 original home to the eternal snow of the high mountains of its pre 

 sent habitat are due the extraordinary modifications it presents. 

 The yak is found on the loftiest plateaus of north Asia, such as 

 Upper Ladak, Thibet, northern China, Mongolia, and the Hima- 

 layas, at an elevation of from 10,000 to 17,000 feet above sea- 

 level ; but they have to descend in the winter below 8000 feet, on 

 account of the great quantity of snow preventing them from 

 obtaining food. The profuse development of hair is therefore 

 obviously an adaptation of the animal to these cold regions, to 

 which it appears confined, for warmer or damper latitudes are 

 unsuitable to its existence in an undeteriorated condition. 



In general form the yak is not unlike the buffalo, but the speci- 

 mens generally seen in Europe are much smaller in size, and are 

 shorter in the legs. The great distinction, however, is in the 

 coat, for instead of being thinly clad it is covered with thick 

 silky hair, which is curly on the head, and so very long under the 

 body that it reaches nearly to the ground. The tail is composed 

 of full-flowing fine hair of great length. Its prevailing colour 

 is black, but red, dun, parti-coloured and white yaks are not 

 common. 



The tail of the yak is a commercial commodity, and the domes- 

 ticated animals are generally deprived of this appendage by their 

 owners, for the article is in great demand, especially the white 

 ones. In India they are to be seen mounted in either ivory or 



