THE LION. 137 
more closely, the fresh remains of a young springbok were also discovered. We therefore 
conjectured that the Lion and Lioness, being very hungry, and the antelope not proving a 
sufficient meal for both, had quarrelled ; and he, after killing his wife, had coolly eaten 
her also.” 
The same writer relates a curious instance of a wounded Lion being torn in pieces by 
a troop of his fellows. 
In the attack of large animals, the Lion seldom attempts an unaided assault, but joins 
in the pursuit with several companions. Thus it seems to be that the stately giraffe is 
slain by the Lion, five of which have been seen engaged in the chase of one giraffe, two 
actually pulling down their prey, while the other three were waiting close at hand. The 
Lions were driven off, and the neck of the giraffe was found to be bitten through by the 
cruel teeth of the assailants. 
When the Lion kills an eland, and does not happen to be very ravenously hungry, he 
feeds daintily on the heart and other viscera, not often touching the remainder of the flesh. 
In so doing, he rips open the abdomen with his powerful claws, and tearing out his 
favourite morsels, devours them. Sometimes, after satisfying his hunger, he will leave 
the eland lying on the ground apparently uninjured, the only visible wound being that 
which he has made by tearing the animal open. 
Owing to the uniform taw uy colour of the Lion’s coat, he is hardly distinguishable 
from surrounding objects even in broad daylight, and by night he walks secure. Even 
the practised eyes of an accomplished hunter have been unable to detect the bodies of 
Lions which were lapping water at some twenty yards’ distance, betraying their vicinity 
by the sound, but so blended in form with the landscape, that they afforded no mark for 
the rifle even at that short distance. 
Under such circumstances, their glowing eyes afford the only means by which they can 
be discovered, and even with such assistance the position of the body cannot be made out. 
The felidee tread so silently, that no footfall gives notice of their whereabouts; and aided 
by the beautiful mechanism of the “whiskers,” they appear to be enabled to thread their 
stealthy way, almost without the aid of eyes. 
Each whisker hair is, in fact, an organ endued with an 
exquisite sense of touch, and in connexion with a set of large 
nerves that convey to the brain the least touch. In the en- 
eraving is given a magnified representation of a single hair- 
bulb of one of the whiskers, together with the nerves by means 
of which the hair is converted into a tactile organ, It will be 
seen, on reference to the figure, that if the extremity of the 
hair is touched, a pressure will instantly be made on the 
nerves at its root. By means of these delicate feelers, the 
animals are able to guide themselves through the thickets, 
and to escape the risk of alarming their intended prey by too 
rude a contact with the branches. 
Among the more inland settlers of Southern Africa, 
adventures with the Lion are of common occurrence. As 
may be expected, many of these rencontres are of a deeply 
tragic nature, while others are imbued with a decidedly comic 
element. A great number of original anecdotes of this nature 
have been most kindly placed at my disposal by Captain 
Drayson, who heard them from the lips of the actors them- 
selves. In these narratives, the characters of both man and 
beast are well shown. ROOT AND NERVES OF LION'S 
WHISKER HAIR, 
“Any person who has mixed much with either Dutch, 
Hottentot, or Kaffir sportsmen, is sure to have heard many exciting and curious adventures 
connected with the chase of the Lion. From amongst a somewhat large stock I will 
now select one or two anecdotes which will serve to illustrate either the habits and 
character of the animal, or the method of hunting him. 
