THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE 33 



which he has described recalls to my mind an in- 

 cident which happened in my father's house when I 

 was a mere child. In the house was a cat which 

 was a great favourite with us children on account 

 of its gentleness. It was nursing a litter of kittens 

 in an outhouse, when, to the horror of the family, it 

 appeared one day, its jaws dripping with blood the 

 blood of its own offspring. A large male cat had 

 found its way into the place where the kittens were 

 with their mother, and she, seeing that she could 

 not avert their doom, had shared in his feast with 

 the intruder. 



" The statement of Faimali as to the effect of light 

 suddenly breaking in upon the darkness in which the 

 lioness couches with her brood, seems to me to be 

 full of significance and suggestion as to what takes 

 place in the haunts of the carnivora. We can almost 

 imagine we perceive the lioness or the tigress stealing 

 away from the side of her slumbering mate, or making 

 off when he is hunting at some distance from her. She 

 will most frequently be unsuccessful, as he will be 

 on the alert and suspicious, being aware of the succu- 

 lent repast she carries with her. If, however, with- 

 out being tracked by the male, she succeeds in 

 reaching a cave or den, most likely discovered by 

 her beforehand, and noted as a suitable place of 

 concealment, she makes her lair in the deep darkness 

 and brings forth her whelps. She lives in constant 

 dread of her wandering lord, afraid of his intrusion. 

 What sense of security she has is imparted by the 

 3 



