Page:Charles Catton, Animals (1788).pdf/7



want of that majetic and graceful ornament the mane, is the principal difference between the male and female Lion; thus unadorned, the female Lion appears carcely to belong to the ame pecies with the male; this diimilarity of figure influenced us to preent a drawing of the Liones; the variations will be bet undertood by comparing their two figures.

The female Lion is, in general, maller than the male; but, having the ame habits, and being actuated by like propenities, we hall take this opportunity of enlarging the decription already given of this noble animal. Our choice of information will, we hope, be approved when we aert, it was collected in the midt of their haunts, urrounded by their preence, and being corroborated by many witnees, appears to have manifet advantage over the generality of reports, which uually have paed through everal relators. To the diligent reearches of Mr. Sparman we, therefore, acknowledge our obligations for the following particulars.

The natural intinctive dread, and trong perception in animals in general, of a Lion near at hand, is thus related: We could plainly perceive by our animals (viz. hores and oxen) when the Lions, whether they roared or not, were reconnoitring us at a mall ditance; the hounds then did not dare to bark in the leat, but crept quite cloe to the Hottentots, and our hores and oxen ighed deeply, frequently hanging back, and pulling lowly, with all their might, at the traps with which they were tied up to the waggon; they alo laid themelves down and tood up alternately, appearing as if they did not know what to do with themelves; and, indeed, I may ay, jut as if they were in the agonies of death. One of our oxen, on this and every imilar occaion, appeared particularly diquieted and retles, and beides, made a remarkable noie inwardly; the ame was the cae with the tallion in his particular way. At night, between 10 and 11 o’clock, we heard the roaring of a Lion, and, though it roared only twice, the animals were retles the whole night through. The bounty of Providence claims our admiration in this intance, which having ent uch a tyrant as the Lion among the brute creation, has likewie taught them to dicern and ditinguih it at a ditance with trembling and horror.

The following trait is curious, and, we believe, new: That the prey of the Lion, if of the brute creation, is immediately dipatched, but if of the human pecies, although provoked, he contents himelf with merely wounding, or, at leat, waits ome time before he gives the fatal blow. A farmer, who had the misfortune to ee a Lion eize two of his oxen which he had jut taken out of his waggon, told me, they intantly fell dead, though, upon examining, it appeared, their backs only had been broken: on the other hand, the converation ran every where in this part of the country upon one Bota, a farmer and captain of militia, who had lain ome time under a Lion, and received everal bruies from the beat, and was a good deal bitten in one arm; but, upon the whole, had, in a manner, his life given him by this noble animal.

The trength of the Lion is unquetionably very great, yet, to trength he is ometimes obliged to add cunning;—to attack the Buffalo, he teals upon his retreat, and, by urprie, eizes the animal by the notril with both paws, which he continues to pres cloe together, till at length, the creature is wearied, trangled, and dies. In running they (two which we chaed) had a kind of a idling pace, like that of a dog, accompanied now and then with a light bound, their necks omewhat raied, they looked akant at us: they appeared to be coniderably higher and longer than our hores, which were of the ize of common galloways.