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The Zebu, or humped ox, is found in India, China, the Indian island^ 
Madagascar, and on the eastern coast of Africa. In former times it existed 
in Egypt. Naturalists are not entirely agreed as to the question whether 
it is a distinct species from the ordinary domestic ox. Cuvier regarded 
them as identical. Martin, on the contrary, believes them distinct. As 
showing the great antiquity of the Zebu, the latter author cites the fact 
that both the humped and the ordinary straight-backed ox are delineated 
on the most ancient monuments of Egypt, which are traceable two thou¬ 
sand years before the Christian era, and that these representations 
exhibit precisely the same characters as are found in the two races at the 
present day. Other grounds for the conclusion that the two races had a 
distinct origin, are the striking differences in their shape, style of color¬ 
ing, and voice. It is true that the two races will interbreed and produce 
a fertile offspring, but this affords no proof of specific identity. The same 
fact may be cited in reference to the American bison and the domestic ox. 
Not only do they differ widely in external appearance, but their osteolo- 
gical structure varies much. Without going into details in regard to 
these differences, it may be noticed that the bison has fourteen pairs of 
ribs, and the domestic ox only thirteen. Yet the two species freely in¬ 
terbreed, and their offspring is prolific. With common cows, impregna¬ 
ted by the male bison or buffalo, difficulty is frequently experienced in 
parturition, owing to the great breadth of forehead and depth at the 
shoulders in the foetus ; but the bison cow, impregnated by the bull of 
the domestic species, brings forth without difficulty.* 
There are two classes of the humped ox, generally known as the largo 
and dwarf Zebu. The former is as large as the smaller breeds of Eng¬ 
lish cattle ; the latter is only the size of an ordinary calf of six weeks 
old. A variety of the larger class, called the Nagore breed, is used in 
India as a substitute for the horse in carrying burdens, and for riding. 
• The writer desires to be somewhat explicit in regard to the fertility of the hybrid 
offspring of the two species here mentioned, as he has on a former occasion expressed a 
different opinion. He had then heard of no instance of the hybrids having bred, but 
subsequently received a letter from Col. O’Fallon, of Missouri, who had made several 
experiments in regard to the question, by which the fertility of the stock was clearly 
shown. This letter was published in the Albany Cultivator for 1849, pp. 92, 93. Similar 
testimony has also been received from a gentleman, (Mr. Platt,) who resided for some 
time among the Pawnee Indians, and kepi, as a family cow, a half-blood bison. 
