138 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



which have been driven out of the herd by younger 

 animals being usually attacked. It is said that as in 

 the case of the gemsbok, the remains of sable and 

 lion have been found lying together — 



'''Side by side those chiefs of pride 

 Fell down together dead," 



like Mamilius and Hermiiiius in Macaulay's "Battle 

 of Lake Regillus". On other occasions the sable 

 has beaten off his enemy. Old antelopes have 

 been shot worn to skin and bone and bearing- fester- 

 ing wounds left by the lion's claws : while conversely 

 Mr. H, L. Duff (" Nyasaland under the Foreign 

 Office," p. 152) has recorded that some curious 

 scars on the body of a recently shot lion were said 

 by the natives to have been caused by a " Mpala- 

 pala " or sable antelope. The following would be 

 an interesting subject for next year's Academy. 

 Scene : a river bank tanoled with buffalo ofrass ; in 

 middle distance, low hill country, sparsely clothed 

 with thin bush : forest in background, with one or 

 two larger trees already festooned with roosting 

 vultures. In the foreground a sable antelope ; feet 

 approximated, head poised lithe on one side, huge 

 curved horns ready to strike with lightning rapidity. 

 On the red earth crouches a lion, every muscle tense 

 as with snarling lip and quivering tail he debates 

 the chances of a sudden rush. Above, a sunset 

 sky murky with rain-clouds : underneath, the title 

 " Equals ! " 



