"THE ABSURD WORD ZEBU."
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") SIR,—In the Spectator of December 29th, the writer of the very interesting article on "Wild-Cattle Breeding at the Zoo," uses the word " zebu" to describe, I presume, the common humped cow of Asia. Apropos to this, Mr. J. Lock- wood Kipling in his ably written and admirably illustrated "Beast and Man in India," says :— " There are several little jokes concealed in scientific nomencla- ture. The absurd name Zebu now indelibly branded on the humped cow (Bos Sacer) of Africa and Asia is one of these. That noble naturalist, AI. Buffon, once met some showmen going to a fair with a Brahming bull, and was told that its name when it was at home was Zebu.' There is a fine foreign touch in this word, so the great man wrote it down, and scientific Europe, following his lead, has inscribed this fragment of a French show- man's bonintent so deeply on its august records that it cannot now be effaced. No such word is known in India, where 'the cow' suffices for all needs. ' Brahming cow' appears to be used by un- travelled English folk, and as distinguishing the true cow from the low-caste buffalo, is the best name possible, if India is to be considered the chief home of humped cattle."
Until I had the pleasure of reading Mr. J. L. Kipling's book I imagined the word "zebu" had been especially coined for the children's illustrated alphabet, where Z usually "stands for zebu." By the way, the "hump," if well prepared and cooked, is a choice morsel to the beef-eating Briton.—I am, Sir, &c.,
[Does not Z " usually " stand for zebra.—En. Spectator.]
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