BUFFALO (Bubalus buffelus), a member of the ox family (Bovidae, q.v.), which, from time immemorial, has been a domes tic animal in India, Malaya and Egypt, and has been introduced into Italy, Gascony and Hungary. The name has since been applied to all members of the genus, and, in America, to the bison (q.v.). The Indian buffalo is larger than the ox, but is less docile. It is employed both for farm-work and as a draught animal. The cow gives much milk, very nour ishing but of a peculiar flavour.
The horns are long, widely sepa rated and backwardly directed. In a wild state the animal haunts swampy marshes and, like the domestic specimens, loves to wal low in the mud. A larger Indian form is the arnee (B. arni) . The male buffalo is quite a match for a tiger. Buffaloes form herds of 5o or more, which, however, break up into small parties, compris ing a bull and three or four cows, at the rutting season.
The Cape buffalo (B. caller) is distinguished by its shorter horns, the bases of which are immensely thickened and cover the whole forehead. Several well-marked varieties are known. In habits and size it resembles the Asiatic species, and ranges over south and central Africa. This animal is credited with great in telligence, and a wounded buffalo is almost a synonym for cunning and ferocity. They are among the most dangerous of big game and are treated with respect even by experienced hunters.
Several other species inhabit Asia and Africa, including the dwarf B. nanus from the west of the latter continent.
called also rabbit-berry and Nebraska currant (Sliepherdia argentea or Lepargyraea argentea), a hardy North American shrub of the oleaster family (Elaeagnaceae), allied to the sea buckthorn (Hippopliae rhamnoidea) of English coasts. The buffalo-berry is native to stream banks in the Great Plains region from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta south ward to Kansas, New Mexico and Nevada. It grows from 6 ft. to 20 ft. high, with whitish, somewhat thorny branches and small, oblong, silvery leaves, and bears a profusion of oval, scarlet, red or golden-yellow berries, about the size of currants. The fruit has a pleasant tart flavour and makes a good meat relish, jelly, sauce or conserve. The plant is not only an attractive ornamental shrub, but, because of its spiny branches, is suitable also for hedges. Attempts have been made to cultivate it for its fruit, and some nurserymen catalogue it, but the sale of plants is limited. Propa gation is effected by seeds and cuttings. The seeds should be stratified over winter and planted in nursery rows in the spring. Two or three years are required to grow plants large enough for sale. Cuttings are made and handled like currant cuttings. Plants may be dug from native thickets, but they do not readily bear transplanting. Since the buffalo-berry is dioecious, it is necessary to set out one male plant with each four to six female plants. The male plants may be distinguished by their dense clusters of plump rounded buds, while the female plants have looser clusters of pointed buds.
The smaller thornless Canadian buffalo-berry (S. canadensis or L. canadensis), 4 ft. to 8 ft. high, with ovate leaves, silvery only on the under surface, grows on wooded banks from Newfoundland to Alaska, and southward to New York and Oregon, extending in the Rocky mountains to New Mexico. Its rounded red or yellowish currant-like fruit is insipid.
(Solarium rostratum), called also beaked nightshade and prickly potato, a North American annual of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), native to high plains east of the Rocky mountains from North Dakota to Mexico. The plant grows from I ft. to ft. high and in aspect strongly resembles the potato (q.v.), to which it is closely related, but is more slender, has bright yellow flowers and is armed throughout with needle like prickles, especially on the burrlike covering inclosing the berry. The buffalo-bur is the original host or food plant of the destructive Colorado potato beetle (q.v.) and has become sparingly naturalized eastward to Ontario and New Hampshire and also in southern California.