THE AFRICAN BUFFALO. 



female Buffalo goes twelve. A circumflance, furely, which puts the matter 

 beyond all doubt, and muft for ever preferve the two Ipecies diftinct. 



The Cape Buffalo, according to Dr. Sparrman, is eight feet in length, and 

 its height is five feet and a half. The limbs are remarkably flout and robufl, 

 in proportion to its fize. The fetlocks hang nearer the ground than they do 

 in the Cow. 



The horns are the rnofl remarkable feature they poffefs, both as to their 

 lhape and fituation : thefe are placed at the diftance of only one inch from 

 each other at the bafes, each horn being about thirteen inches in width at 

 that part; from the junction at the bafe, which forms a narrow channel or 

 furrow, they rife upwards, in a fpherical form, to the height of three inches ; 

 in this manner they extend over a great part of the head, to the diftance of three 

 inches and a half from the eyes ; fo that the part from which they proceed 

 occupies a fpace of eighteen or twenty inches in circumference ; from 

 thence bending downwards on each fide of the neck, they become gradually 

 more cylindrical, and each of them forms a curve, the convex part of which 

 is turned towards the ground, and the direction of the point is upwards : the 

 diftance from point to point is frequently more than five feet. The horns are 

 black, and two thirds of their furface, meafured from the bafe, are very rough 

 and craggy, with cavities lodged in them, fometimes an inch deep. The ears 

 are a foot long, and are apparently defended by the fituation of the horns ; 

 notwithstanding which, the edges of them are often notched and torn by 

 the briars and almorl impenetrable thickets through which they pafs. The eyes 

 alfo are fo placed as to receive great protection from the horns ; befides which, 

 they are funk deep in their own prominent orbits : an instance of the kind 

 care of the Creator, in thus providing for the defence and fafety of a part fo 

 elTential to the well-being of the animal. 



The hair of the Buffalo, which is of a dark brown colour, is long and 

 harfh, and thinly fcattered over the body, especially on the fides ; it is rather 

 longer on the knees, and lies as it were in whirls. 



The Buffalo usually carries its head inclined to one fide ; this, with the 

 lingular appearance of its horns, gives it a fierce and malignant alped, and 



