THE LION 



about 500 lbs. The lion makes his den by scratch- 

 ing away the earth in some very retired and secluded 

 locality, and if not disturbed will remain there and 

 issue forth during the hours of darkness, intent upon 

 slaying some unfortunate beast. When he has 

 depleted the neighbourhood of game, he betakes 

 himself to some other hunting-ground. He hunts 

 entirely by night, and sleeps off his feast during the 

 day, and if disturbed or attacked in the daytime he 

 seems ill at ease, and not nearly so bold as at night. 

 There is a quotation about " those whose deeds are 

 evil, love darkness," which aptly applies to this flesh- 

 eating beast, and it seems the darker the night the 

 bolder he becomes, and particularly so on dark, wild, 

 stormy nights. It is on those nights the hunter sits 

 under or in his wagon listening to the terrific roaring 

 of the lions prowling round his camp, intent upon 

 devouring his cattle, and leaving him and his wagon 

 stranded in the wilderness. Dr. Livingstone men- 

 tions the fact that the lion frequently, as a change 

 of diet, feeds upon the desert water-melon [Cuicumis 

 caffer)^ which the desert lands of Africa, after an 

 unusual downfall of rain, are literally covered with, 

 affording both food and drink to hosts of different 

 species of herbivorous animals. In the Kalahari 

 water is very scarce and frequently unobtainable, and 

 these juicy melons, no doubt, are at times eaten by 

 lions to slake their thirst. There is no doubt about 

 the fact that the lion frequently devours the paunch 

 of its victim, with its contents of half-digested grass 



III 



