230 MY SOMALI BOOK 



proof that its powers of detecting a taint in the air are 

 far inferior to those of the deer or antelope tribes. The 

 circumstances are quite different when a Somah 

 leopard deliberately attacks an inhabited zariba. 



Now, Mr. Selous produces no evidence in support 

 of his belief that the lion hunts by scent. At the 

 same time it is not improbable that this animal's powers 

 of scent have been developed to a greater degree than 

 those of the tiger. This for the reason that the lion 

 in Africa, unlike the tiger, as a rule, has no scruples 

 about having his prey killed for him, and habitually 

 feeds upon carcases which he may happen to come 

 across. This habit alone would tend to bring the 

 powers of scent into more frequent use. Moreover, 

 the existence of the habit in an animal obviously 

 intended by Nature to kill its OAvn prey, points to the 

 probability of the struggle for existence being, or having 

 been, in some respects, greater for the lion under 

 African conditions of life than for the tiger in Asia. 

 If this be so an increase in power of scent would be a 

 natural development. 



But that the lion habitualty hunts his prey by 

 scent must, in the absence of stronger evidence than 

 has appeared, be held not proven. Though even 

 were the contrary the case the difficulty, as I hope to 

 show, is not insuperable. 



The final stumbling-block in the way of theories of 

 concealing colouration lies in the nocturnal habits of 

 the carnivora. Mr. Selous argues that this important 

 consideration is ignored by armchair naturalists, and 

 no doubt this is in some measure the case. But it 

 seems to me, on the other hand, that Mr. Selous fails to 



