THE LION 373 



who happen to come in their way at night also become victims. On the other hand, 

 when far away from human habitations, such decrepit lions are stated by the same 

 writer to catch mice and other small Rodents, and will even at times eat grass, 

 although this may be taken medicinally. 



That such lions, which have become too feeble to prey upon game, would 

 naturally develop into "man-eaters," if they were permitted to live, appears highly 

 probable. Mr. Selous believes, however, that the absence of man-eating lions in 

 those parts of Africa with which he is acquainted is due ' ' to the superior boldness 

 of the African natives over those of India, for even amongst the least martial tribes 

 of South Africa, if two or three people are killed by a lion, the population of the 

 surrounding country is roused, and, a party being formed, the lion is usually sur- 

 rounded and stabbed to death with assegais ; whilst, amongst such warlike tribes 

 as the Matabele, if a lion only kills an ox, or even a goat, its fate is usually sealed, 

 or, even if not killed, it gets such a scare that it is glad to quit the district. Such 

 a thing as a man-eater, or even an habitual cattle-slayer, would never be tolerated 

 for an instant." 



According, however, to Mr. Drummond, whose shooting experiences were con- 

 fined to Eastern South Africa, in the districts of Zululand, Tongaland, and Swazi- 

 land, man-eating lions are to be met with in some regions. And this writer relates 

 how he became an accessory to the death of two such man-eaters, one of which 

 had well-nigh depopulated a district, having killed between thirty and forty indi- 

 viduals ; while the second, although dwelling in an uninhabited country full of 

 game, had become notorious for its attacks upon the camps of the hunters. The 

 former, indeed, appeared to be an animal in the full enjoyment of bodily strength, 

 as it is said to have habitually leaped over the high fences which surround the Zulu 

 villages. 



With regard to the method in which lions kill and carry off the larger animals 

 upon which they prey, it may be observed, in the first place, that there is some 

 doubt whether death is effected by dislocating the neck of the victim, as is always 

 done by tigers. Mr. Blanford states that in a cow killed by a lion in Abyssinia the 

 vertebrae of the neck were not dislocated ; and that he also saw a lioness hold a 

 camel for several minutes without attempting to break its neck. Mr. Selous is of 

 opinion that lions have not one universal way of killing their prey, but they vary it 

 according to circumstances. Thus he relates how he has seen a horse, a young 

 elephant, and two antelopes killed by a bite in the throat ; while he has also known 

 instances of horses and zebras being killed by a bite on the back of the neck behind 

 the head. Buffaloes, he believes, are sometimes killed by a dislocation of the neck, 

 which is effected by ' ' the lion springing on to their shoulders, and then seizing their 

 noses with one paw, giving the neck a sudden wrench. ' ' 



It was formerly a prevalent notion that lions were in the habit of carrying off 

 the carcasses of large animals, like oxen and buffaloes, by throwing them over their 

 backs and walking bodily away with them. All recent observers are, however, 

 agreed that this is by no means a correct statement, and that their invariable prac- 

 tice is to transport such carcasses by dragging them along the ground. Mr. Selous 

 states that in this manner lions carry off not only the bodies of the larger animals, 



