or Zoological Recollections, 321 



especially of the blood royal, to crouch at her feet, and defend 

 her from the assaults of ravishers and giants. Formerly, he 

 was supposed to be cowed by the crowing of a cock only ; and 

 Plin}^ says, that whosoever is anointed with cock-broth, espe- 

 cially if garlick be boiled with it, no lion nor panther will 

 touch him. 



In the carcass of the young lion which Samson slew in 

 his journey to Timnath, he found upon his return a swarm 

 of bees and their honey ; and upon this circumstance founded 

 the riddle with which he challenged the Egyptians : — '' Out of 

 the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth 

 sweetness !" (Judges, xiv. 14.) 



The lion was a peculiar object of veneration and regard 

 among the Egyptians : for, when the sun enters the astrono- 

 mical sign of Leo, the river Nile begins to flow, and promises 

 its fertilising waters to the dry and parched plains of the 

 Delta: hence we see in ancient structures imitative of the 

 architecture of the East, as in many of the public buildings 

 at Oxford, the water-spouts are ornamented with the heads 

 of lions, dogs, and other figurative and fantastic semblances. 



This noble animal has hitherto been considered as of the 

 cat genus, i^elis Leo, but is certainly worthy of generic dis- 

 tinction ; not merely as containing several species of its own 

 family, but as possessing characters peculiar to itself. It has 

 no collar bones, and therefore cannot, like the cat and the 

 tiger, climb nor strike its prey with a sidelong blow, but 

 brings it down by a straight-forward pawing. From the dog 

 it differs in having a nictitant membrane ; and in its inward 

 pur of pleasure and confidence.* 



DOG. 



It is remarkable that from this faithful animal, the com- 

 panion of man, and the guardian of his person and property, 

 should originate all the terms of vile reproach and low com- 

 parison ; as, you dog, you cur, you hound, you whelp, you 

 puppy : so, dog's trick, dog cheap, dog trot, dog sick, dog 

 weary, doggrel rhymes, to lead the life of a dog, or to use 

 like a dog ; and Homer represents Jupiter, in his anger, 



[* " A lioness 



Lay crouching, head on ground, with catlike watch, 

 When that the sleeping man should stir ; for 'tis 

 The royal disposition of that beast, 

 To prey on nothing that doth seem as dead." 



As you like it, act 4. sc. 3. 

 The correctness of the attitude of the feline tribe needs no comment. 

 The latter observation, I believe, also correct, though, 1 fear, not to be 

 referred to any " royal disposition " in that tribe." — >S'. H, See p. 5. 139.] 

 Vol. VII. — No. 40. y 



