B U F 
length of which, along the curvature, is three feet 
and upwards ; and, between tip and tip, one foot 
fix inches. 
Thefe Buffaloes inhabit the interior parts of Africa 
north of the Cape of Good Hope, but it does not 
appear that they extend to the north of the tropic. 
They farexceed thelargeft: Englifhox in magnitude^ 
their heads hang down; and they have a very fierce 
and malicious afpeft. They lie in ambufli in 
woods, and other fecret places; and, rufliingfudden- 
ly on paffengers, trample them, their horfes, and 
oxen of draught, under their feet; fo that they are 
dreaded as fome of the moft formidable beafts of 
this country ; and they will even return to the 
attack, and lick the mangled bodies. Their 
fwiftnefs is prodigious; and they are fo ftrong, that 
one only three years of age having been placed, 
for an experiment, with fix tame oxen in a waggon, 
could not be moved from the ipot by their united 
exertions. 
This fpecies likewife abounds in the interior 
parts of Guinea ; but they are fo fierce and male- 
volent, that the negroes who purfue other favage 
animals are fearful of molefting tliem. Tlie lion, 
which is able to break the back of the ftrongeft 
domeftic ox at one blow, is unable to mailer this 
creature, unlefs by leaping on it's back, and fuffo- 
cating it by fixing it's talons about it's nofe and 
mouth. The lion, indeed, often perifhes in the at- 
tempt, but not without leaving the marks of it's 
fury about the mouth and nofe of the Buffalo. The 
fielli is coarfe, but juicy, and has a flrong flavour 
of venifon : it is much efteerned in thofe coun- 
tries where thefe animals are found ; but it proba- 
bly derives fome fhare of it's relifh from the difR- 
culty attending it's attainment. 
The Cape Buffaloes are gregarious; and gene- 
rally retire, during the day, into thethickeft forefbs. 
They are called aurochs by the Dutch fetders; but 
differ totally from theEuropean Buffaloes, approach- 
ing fo nearly in fpecies to the lafl kind, that they may 
be confidered merely as a variet)\ The warmth of 
the climate has prevented the vafi length and abun- 
dance of hair which diflinguiflies the former; and 
the luxuriancy of the herbage has given them the 
vaft fuperiority of fize. 
However, another fpecies of aurochs has been 
mentioned by the Dutch travellers ; who fay that it 
refembles the common ox, but is larger, and of a 
grey colour; that it's head is final], and it's horns 
are fhort ; that the hair on the breaft is curled ; that 
it has a beard like a goat; and that it is fo fwift, that 
the Namacques call it baas, or the mafter-cou- 
rier. 
Buffalo, Dwarf. The horns of this fpecies 
recede in the middle, and almoft meet at the points, 
(landing ere(5l. It's body is larger than that ' of a 
roebuck, and lefs than a flag's ; it is compaft and 
well-made in all it's limbs: the hair is fliining, and 
of a tawny brown; the legs are fhort; the neck is 
thick; the fhoulders are a little elevated; and the 
tail is terminated with coarfe long hairs. 
Belon met with this fpecies at Cairo; but fays 
that it was brought from Azafi, a province of Mo- 
rocco fituated on the ocean. 
Buffalo, Little Indian. This animal grows 
to the fize of a calf fix months old; and refembles 
the Englifli bull in fhape, except that it has very 
fhort horns, and a bunch rifing on the back between 
the fhoulders. In the Eafl Indies thefe Buffaloes are 
ufed for drawing coaches, inflead of horfes. Tlie 
nofe is broad, flat, and deilituteof hair; on the lips. 
BUG 
or muzzle, there are fome loofe, fhagg)'-, ftraggling, 
hairs; and the hair on the infideof the nofe iswhidfn. 
The horns, which are Imall, and of a dark colour,, 
appear but a little way above the rough hair on 
the top of the head; die ears are much longer and 
larger than the horns, being of a flefh colour, and in- 
ternally deflitute of hair ; the body is wholly co- 
vered with fleek hair; that on the head, neck, tail, 
back, and fides, being of a blueifn colour. Tlie loofe . 
Ikin on the neck is white; and the belly is covered 
with fo fmall a quantity of lightiili hair, that itfliew* 
the fiefli colour. The legs are of a }ii*ht colour, 
fpotted and marked with black, and become gra- 
dually whiter towards the feet. The tuft of hair 
at the extremity of the tail is black; and t!ie hoofs, 
which are fhaped like thofe of the cow, arc of a 
dark brown. 
BUFFON BIRD. An African bird to which 
the French give the title of demoifelle, or lad)-, on 
account of it's elegant gefticulations; but it's pro- 
per name is the Nuifiidian crane, though it is beft 
known by the def J^nation we have adopted. Ic 
poffcffes the greateil peculiarity of manners; it 
flops, rifes, lifts one wing, then another, turns 
round, fails foi-ward, then backward ; all which mo- 
tions afford high diverfion to the ignorant, who 
never confider that thefe contortions are only the 
aukward expreffions of the animal's fears'. This 
bird is very fcarce, even in thofe countries where 
it breeds. The plumage is of a leaden grey 
colour; but it is diflinguiflT.ed by fine white 
feathers, confifling of long fibres, which fall from 
the back of the head about four incites long; wiiiie 
the fore-part of the neck is adorned with black 
plumage, compofed of very tine, foft, and long 
fibres, hanging down on the bread, which give 
the bird a very graceful appearance. 
BUFO. A name frequently applied to exprefs 
the toad, denominated by others rubeta. 
BUG. A very naufeous infe6l, which intrudes 
on the retreats of mankind, and is of all others 
the moft troublefome and noxious. When the 
weary retire to refl, the bug iffues from it's retreat, 
and commences it's depredations. By day it lurks 
in the moft fecret parts of the bed ; takes the ad- 
vantage of every chink and cranny to m.ake a fe- 
cure lodgement; and contrives it's habitation with 
fo much art, that fcarcely any induflry can deteft 
it. It leems to avoid the light with great cunning; 
and even if candles be kept burning, it is fearful of 
iffuing from it's hiding-place; but no fooner does 
darknefs promife fecurity, than it crawls out from 
fome corner of the bed, and travels with great af- 
fiduity to attack it's vidim, whom it peflers with 
unceafing cruelty. 
Nor are thefe animals lefs difagreeable from their 
naufeous ftench than their voracious appetites. 
When they begin to crawl, the whole bed is infeded 
with the fmell; but if they are accidentally killed, 
it becomes infupportable. Thefe are fome of 
the inconveniences refulting from the perfecution 
of thefe odious infects ; but, happily for Great Bri- 
tain, they multiply lefs in thefe iflands than in any 
part of the continent. In France and Italy the 
beds, particularly in the inns, fwarm with them; 
and every piece of furniture feems to afford them 
a retreat : they alfo grow to a larger fize in thofe 
countries than widi us, and bite with more fe- 
verity. 
If minutely examined, this animal will be found 
to confifl of three principal parts; the head, the 
corielet, and the belly. It has two fmail brown 
eyes. 
