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the lioness must be suffered to bring forth her 

 young in total darkness; for if, during a space of 

 from nine to twelve days after their birth, any 

 light finds an entrance into the cage, the fierce 

 mother is sure to devour her cubs. Boys who 

 make pets of rabbits know how apt the mother is 

 to destroy her brood if she is disturbed in the early 

 days of her nursing, though she is indifferent to dis- 

 turbance when more than a fortnight has elapsed. 

 When I read Faimali's statement, it at once occurred 

 to me that the limitation of the period during which 

 the intrusion of light into the darkness of her cage 

 prompts the lioness to devour her progeny must 

 coincide with the time when the cubs, if discovered 

 by the male, are in danger of being devoured l>y 

 him. I seemed to see therein the beneficence and 

 wise ordering of Mother Nature exhibited. A great 

 work of elimination requires to be accomplished ; 

 therefore is the appetite of the male parent excited, 

 as it would appear, by some odour proceeding from 

 the callow offspring, impelling him to devour them. 

 But as Nature's purpose is partial elimination, and 

 not extermination, and as the number of survivors 

 must suffice to propagate the species, so as to preserve 

 its numbers undiminished from generation to genera- 

 tion, she causes the exciting odour to pass away when 

 it has served its purpose. Then haply the mother 

 goes forth to seek her mate, and instal him as pro- 

 tector and provider of the family. Faimali's account 

 of the behaviour of the lioness in the circumstances 



