2l6 



The Living Animals of the World 



fhoto hy the Duchess 0/ Bu'/ueil] 



Cape Buffalo. There 



iilsn 



unkno^vn period, and is 

 among the most valuable of 

 tame beasts of draught, as 

 well as for dairy purposes. 

 The various buffaloes usually 

 have little hair, especially 

 when old, and have flatter 

 shoulders than the gaur, 

 gaval, or bison. The pairs 

 of ribs number thirteen. 



The Afuicax Buffalo. 



Great differences in size 

 and colour exist in the 

 African Buffaloes. Whether 

 they are separate species or 

 not may be doubtful ; but 

 the small yellow Congo 

 Buffalo, with u})turned short 

 horns, is a vastly different 

 creature from the large black 

 an Abyssinian or brown race of African buftalo, and another in 



lirolji',-,! Mboi. 



EUEOPEAX BISON 



Tberie ^vilJ animals of the Caucasus are veiy much scarcer than furnierly, ami are in danger 



(if heci'Miinir extinct. 



Senegambia smaller than the former, and a reputed grey race near Lake Tchad. Tlie Cape 

 buffalo is a heavv, thickset animal, all lilack in colour, witli large massive hoi-ns coverinEf the 

 skull, and nearly meeting in the middle line of the forehead. In height it varies from 4 feet 

 10 inches to 5 feet at the shoulder. This species ranges from South Africa to the Congo on 

 the we.st, and to the region of the Equator on the east of the continent. Firearms, and 

 lately rinderpest, have greatly reduced the number of these creatures. They live and feed 

 in herds, and, like the Indian species, are fond of the neighbourhood of water, in wliich they 

 lj;rthe, but are not so de[iendent on bathing and wallowing as the former. 



Fully as formidable as tlie Indian buffalo, and much like it in habits, the African species 

 is quite distinct. It has different horns, broad at the base and curled and tapering at the 

 ends. Among the extreme measurements of the Indian buffalo's horns recorded is one of 

 12 feet 2 inches from tip to tip along the curve. Those of the African Ijuffalo are seldom 

 more than 6 feet, measured in the same way. By far the greatest number of hunting accidents 

 in Africa are caused by the buffalo. Sir Samuel Baker shot a buffalo bull one evening near 

 the White Nile. His men actually danced upon the body, when the animal rose to its feet, 

 and sent them flying into the river like so many frogs. It then disappeared in the thick 

 vegetation. On the following day, supposing that it must have died during the nio-ht, thirty 

 or forty men, armed with double-barrelled guns, went to look for it. The result was thus 

 recorded by Sir Samuel Bakei- : " They had not been ashore for many minutes when I 

 fii'st heard a shot ami tlien a regular volley. ]\Iy peo2)le returned with the head of the 

 buffalo and a large quantity of meat, but they also caii'ied the body of my best man, who, 

 when leading the way through tlie high reeds, following the traces of blood, actually stumbled 

 ujion the buffalo lying in the swamp, and the light guns failed to stop its charo-e. The 

 crooked horn had cauglit him behind the ear, and, penetrating completely throu.o-h the neck 

 had torn out the throat as though it had been cut. The savage beast had then knelt upon 

 the body, and stamped it into tlie muddy ground, until it fell beneath the five of thirty men." 



The head and body of a male Cai)e buffalo are 9 feet long. It is stated that the parasite 

 conveyed by the tsetse fly remains in the Ijlood of the buffalo (which is not affected by it), 

 and that this forms a reserve whence tlie fly, after suc]<iiig the blood of tlie buffalo, poisons 

 other animals. 



