242 THE OX AND ITS KINDRED 
sented, as I have stated in the Field newspaper,^ by 
buffaloes shot by Lieutenant H. J. L. Thompson in 
the Yala country, between the Aloda towns of 
Echimoga and Iveku-Okuku, in an open grassy 
district well watered by numerous streams flowing 
into the Yahe River. Except on the banks of that 
river, where the covert is very dense and the ground 
swampy even at the end of the dry season, there are 
few trees in the district. At the spot where the 
buffaloes were killed the river forms a U-shaped 
bend about six miles across ; and the herd was 
crossing the open grassy ridge in the middle of the 
bend. The district is scored with buffalo-tracks of 
two sizes, the smaller evidently made by the dwarf 
race. The herd comprised from about twenty to 
thirty animals, all of which, with the exception of one 
calf, were nearly equal in size. The adults were, 
however, of two colours, some deep glossy black, and 
the others dun or khaki-colour. The calf appeared 
to be darker, and all, inclusive of the calf, had light- 
coloured " stockings." Both before and after firing 
Mr. Thompson had the herd under observation for a 
considerable time, at distances ranging from 400 to 
30 yards, and he was able to identify three bulls, 
which were black. The cow killed was entirely 
black, with the exception of a slight brownish tinge 
at the tips of the ears and along the middle line of 
the neck and back, and of the dirty creamy grey of 
the legs below the knees and hocks. The height at 
the withers was estimated at between 3 feet 6 inches 
and 4 feet, the legs being very short and massive. 
Mr. Thompson identified a large number of dun or 
khaki-coloured animals, which appeared to be all 
^ Vol. cxv. p. 1 1 12, 1910. 
