THE LION 173 



one of the truth of this statement; but very few seem to 

 perceive its apparent meaning; for it is difficult to account 

 for this evident fact except by the admission that the Uon's 

 coloration is really a wholly minor, and probably a wholly 

 negligible, element in enabling it to approach its prey unper- 

 ceived — in other words, that the undoubtedly concealing 

 quality of the lion's coloration is of interest chiefly as a 

 coloristic fact, and plays little real part, and probably no 

 part at all, in the animal's success as a hunter, and has 

 not been developed by natural selection or otherwise for this 

 particular utilitarian purpose. 



The lion sometimes lies in wait at a drinking-place, espe- 

 cially in seasons of drought when the water-holes are few in 

 number, and when the game is obliged by thirst to come to 

 each of them. But of the numerous kills we came across, 

 several hundred in number all told, only a few were by the 

 drinking-places. The great majority were out on the plains. 

 Evidently the lion far more frequently kills his game by 

 stalking, still-hunting, or driving on the plains than by ly- 

 ing in wait at a watering-place. Unquestionably a party 

 of lions will sometimes drive game; they spread out, and 

 those to one side, by grunting or merely by their smell, 

 stampede the game so that those on the other side may 

 catch it. Ordinarily, however, the lion crouches motionless 

 as his prey grazes toward him, or himself crawls toward it 

 with almost inconceivable noiselessness and stealth. The 

 darker the night the bolder the lion; under the bright moon- 

 light a lion is apt to be somewhat cautious, whereas there 

 is almost no limit to its daring in black, stormy weather. 

 No matter how pitch-dark the night, the lion seems to have 

 no difficulty in seizing his prey in such manner as to insure 



