38 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



[Hamburg 



B) permission of Herr Carl Hagenhtih'] 



A HAPPY FAMILY 



Here is a group of animals and their keeper from Herr Hagcnbcck' s Thifrpark. The animal in 

 front is a cross between a lion and a tigress ; he lives on Quite friendly terms ivith his keeper, and also 

 ivith lions, tigers, and leopards, as seen in the photograph 



of male lions carry heavy 

 manes, the long hair of 

 which does not as a rule 

 cover more than the neck 

 and chest, with a tag of 

 varying length and thick- 

 ness extending from the 

 back of the neck to be- 

 tween the shoulder-blades. 

 Lions with very full black 

 manes, covering the whole 

 shoulders, arc rare any- 

 where, but more likely to 

 be encountered on the 

 high plateaux, where the 

 winter nights are ex- 

 tremely cold, than any- 

 where else. In such cases, 

 in addition to the tufts 

 of hair always Pound on 

 the elbows and in the 

 armpits of lions with lair- 

 sized manes, there will 

 probably be large tufts 



of hair in each flank just where the thighs join the belly ; but I have never yet seen the 



skin of a lion shot within the last thirty years with the whole belly covered with long, thick 



hair, as may constantly be observed in lions kept in captivity in menageries. There is, 



however, some evidence to show that, when lions existed on the high plains of the Cape 



Colony and the Orange River Colony, where the winter nights are much colder than in the 



countries farther north where lions may still be encountered, certain individuals of the species 



developed a growth of long hair all over the belly, as well as an extraordinary luxuriance of mane 



on the neck and shoulders. 



From the foregoing remarks it will 



be seen that wild lions, having as a rule 



much less luxuriant manes than many 



examples of their kind to be seen in 



Kuropean menageries, are ordinarily not so 



majestic and dignified in appearance as 



many of their caged relatives. On the 



other hand, the wild lion is a much more 



alert and active animal than a menagerie 



specimen, and when in good condition is 



far better built and more powerful-looking, 



being free from all appearance of lankiness 



and weakness in the legs, and having strong, 



well-formed hindquarters. The eves of the 



menagerie lion, too, look brown and usually 



sleepy, whilst those of the wild animal are 



yellow, and extraordinarily luminous even 



after death. When wounded and standing 



Bt ftrmiuian of Hirr Carl Haftnbtci'] [Hamburg 



A CROSS BETWEEN LION AND TIGRESS 



This unique photograph shows a remarkable hybrid and its proud parents. 

 The father [on the right) is a Hon, and the mother [on the left) a tigress. 

 The offspring [in the centre) is a fine , large mate, noiv four years old; it 

 is bigger than an a'vcragc-si'zcd lion c tiger 



