of a species of Ox, covered with their skins. These heads are the
specimens which are mentioned in Messrs. Children and Vigors' accounts
of the animals collected in the expedition, as belonging to the
Buffalo, _Bos Bubalus_, and they are stated to be called _Zamouse_ by
the natives; but, as no particular locality is given for the head, this
name is probably the one applied to the common Buffalo, which is found
in most parts of North Africa.

"Having some years ago compared these heads with the skull of the common
Buffalo, _Bos Bubalus_, and satisfied myself, from the difference in the
form and position of the horns, that they were a distinct species, in
the 'Mag. of Nat. Hist.,' for 1837 (new series, vol. i, p. 589), I
indicated them as a new species, under the name of _Bos Brachyceros_.

"In the course of this summer (1838), Mr. Cross, of the Surrey
Zoological Gardens, received from Sierra Leone, under the name of the
_Bush Cow_, a specimen which serves more fully to establish the species.
It differs from the Buffalo and all other oxen in several important
characters, especially in the large size and particular bearding of the
ears, and in being totally deficient in any dewlap. It also differs from
the Buffalo in its forehead, being flatter and quite destitute of the
convex form which is so striking in all the varieties of that animal.

"Mr. Cross's cow is, like the head in the Museum, of a nearly uniform
pale chesnut colour. The hair is rather scattered, and nearly
perpendicular to the surface of the body. The legs, about the knees and
hocks, are rather darker. The ears are very large, with two rows of very
long hairs on the inner side, and a tuft of long hairs at the tips. The
body is short and barrel-shaped, and the tail reaches to the hocks,
rather thin and tapering, with a tuft of long hairs at the tip. The
chest is rounded and rather dependent, but without the least appearance
of a dewlap; and the horns nearly resemble those of the Museum
specimen, but are less developed, from the sex and evidently greater
youth of the animal. The Rev. Mr. Morgan informs me that the animal is
not rare in the bush near Sierra Leone.

"I have added a slight sketch of Mr. Cross's animal, which I hope will
enable any person to distinguish this very distinct and interesting
addition to the species of this useful genus."

The engraving at the head of this article is a reduced copy of Mr.
Gray's figure just alluded to. The following