118 THE LION. 



But we have yet spoken of the lions of Africa and 

 India as the same animal, and have noticed only 

 their habits and dispositions. By naturalists, the 

 lions of these different countries have been described 

 as varieties ; the first being always of a darker shade, 

 and more powerful form, than the latter. These 

 characters are mentioned by all writers, and appear 

 constant in the different countries ; and we strong- 

 ly suspect, that future observations will prove these 

 animals to be, in reality, distinct species. We now 

 propose to notice them separately, and shall first de- 

 scribe the African variety, or that which we believe 

 will stand as the Leo Africanus. 



Africa exhibits the lion in all his grandeur ; and 

 in many an unknown desert, he reigns with undis- 

 puted sway over the more feeble races. Here he 

 appears most powerful, and of greatest size and fierce- 

 ness ; his disposition bold and fearless. Temminck, 

 in his Monograph, places the African lion in two 

 varieties, that of Barbary and that of Senegal ; but 

 without at all referring to those of the southern parts 

 of the continent. There appear to be two varieties, 

 or perhaps three ; but they are more indiscriminate- 

 ly scattered over the country, and in the descrip- 

 tions of the animals of Southern Africa, two kinds 

 are also mentioned, the yellow and the brown, or, as 

 they are sometimes termed by the Dutch colonists, 

 the " blue and the black," and which are analogous 

 with the northern varieties. In what the above 

 mentioned naturalist calls the Barbary lion, the hair 





