MAMMALIA — LION. 



163 



magnificence, the fountains which were constructed for the accommodation 

 of an enormous population are now useless, except to the wandering Arab, 

 and to the jackal and hyaena, who stray amongst these ruins after sunset, 

 to search for water at the deserted reservoirs. Seldom does the hyaena 

 molest the traveller in these solitudes ; but his howl, or the encounter of 

 his fierce and sullen eye, is always alarming. Captain Beechey says, 

 ' although we had very frequently been disturbed by hyaenas, we never 

 found that familiarity with their howl, or their presence, could render their 

 near approach an unimportant occurrence ; and the hand would instinctively 

 find its way to the pistol, before we were aware of the action, Avhenever 

 either of these interruptions obtruded themselves closely upon us, either by 

 night or by day." Such encounters are generally without any fatal results, 

 if the man does not commence the attack. The hyaena sets up a howl, and 

 doggedly walks away, with his peculiar limping motion, which gives him 

 an appearance of lameness, but when he is attacked, his resistance is a? 

 fierce as it is obstinate. 



THE LION.i 



The outward form of the lion seems to speak the superiority of hi& in- 

 ternal qualities. His figure is striking, his look confident and bold, his 

 gait proud, and his voice terrible. His stature is not overgrown, like that 

 of the elephant, or the rhinoceros ; nor is the shape clumsy, like that of the 

 hippopotamus, or the ox. He is in every respect compact and well-propor- 

 tioned, a perfect model of strength joined with agility. 



1 Felis Leo, Lin. The genus Felis has six upper and six lower incisors ; two upper and 

 iwo lower canines ; eight or six upper and six lower molars; five toes on the fore feet 

 hind feet tetradactyle ; nails retractile ; head short ; four molars on each side of the upper 

 'aw, the last tuberculous and very small; three in the lower jaw ; ears pointed. 



