FELIS. 57 



Dimensions. Head and body 5g to 6| feet long, tail 2| to 3. 

 A male measured: head and body 5 feet 11 inches, tail 2 feet 

 1 1 inches ; a female 5 feet 5 inches and 2 feet 7 inches. A lion 

 measuring 8 feet 9| inches was 3 feet 6 inches high. The female 

 is considerably smaller than the male, and, as with tigers, some 

 individuals probably are larger, others smaller than the above 

 extremes. The hairs of the mane are 10 inches to a foot long 

 in some Indian lions. A skull -of an adult male lion measures in 

 extreme length 13 inches, breadth across xygoinatic arches 9'4. 



Distribution. In India the lion is verging on extinction. There 

 are probably a very few still living in the wild tract known as the 

 Gir in Katty war, and a few more in the wildest parts of Rjvjputaua, 

 especially Southern Jodhpur, in Oodeypur, and around Mount 

 Abu. About 20 years ago lions were common near Mount Abu, 

 several were shot near Gwalior, Goona, and Kota, and a few still 

 existed near Lalitpur, between Saugor and Jhansi.^XOne is said to 

 have been killed near Goona in 1873. In 1864 one was killed 

 near Sheorajpur, 25 miles west of Allahabad ; and when the railway 

 was being made from Allahabad to Jubbulpoor, in 1866, a fine 

 lion, with a good mane, was shot by two of the engineers near 

 the 80th milestone from Allahabad. About 1830 lions were 

 common near Ahmedabad. Several years previously, in the early 

 part of the century, lions were found in Hurriana to the north- 

 ward, and in Khandesh to the south, in many places in Kajputaua 

 (one was shot in 1810 within 40 miles of Kot Deji, in Sind), and 

 eastward as far as Eewah and Palamow. It is probable that this 

 animal was formerly generally distributed in North-western and 

 Central India*. I have never heard of lions in Cutch, and suspect 

 Jerdou was mistaken in supposing them to be found there. 



Eastward and north of India the lion is not found, and almost 

 the only part of Western Asia in which it is common is in Mesopo- 

 tamia and part of South-western Persia. As is well known, this 

 animal abounds throughout Africa. 



Varieties. For a long time it was supposed that the Indian lion 

 was maneless, and in numerous books on natural history there are 

 accounts of the "Maneless lion of Guzerat " (F. Leo guzrattensis, 

 Smee, Trans. Z. S. i, p. 165, pi. xxiv ; P. Z. S. 1833, p. 140). It is 

 probable that maneless male individuals may occasionally occur, 

 and it is well known that lions in some parts of Africa, e.g. 

 the Cape and Algeria, have longer manes than in other tracts. It- 

 is also asserted that lions inhabiting forests have shorter manes, 

 owing to the hairs being pulled out by thorny bushes, but this is 

 doubtful. It is certain, however, that some adult Indian lions 

 have well-developed manes, and the typical maneless Guzerat lion 

 in the British Museum is immature. The lion figured by Captain 

 Smee was shot near Ahmedabad, and was a short-maned lion, 

 similar to most Persian or Abyssinian animals. 



* J. A. S. B. xxxvi, pt. 2, p. 189; P. A. S. B. 18G8, p. 198; Journ. Geog. 

 Soc. 1870, p. 204. 



