214 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



of living, and hard-heartedly drives them 

 away." As she will have four or five more 

 litters, all equally large, before the summer 

 is over, we can easily understand that she has 

 not much time to spend over the nursing and 

 education of each set of babies. 



In many of the larger mammals the time the 

 young take to develop within the mother and 

 the time of their helplessness after birth are 

 very long, and it is among these that we find 

 parental affection at its best. It is not merely 

 mother-love the mouse has that, though only 

 for a short time. Both parents show affection 

 for their children, and their common care for 

 them has often led to lasting affection for each 

 other. The lion hunts along with his mate dur- 

 ing the breeding-season, but, as soon as she be- 

 comes unable to accompany him, he hunts for 

 her, bringing his kill to the den, and letting 

 her satisfy her hunger before he takes his own 

 meal. From the time the cubs are weaned until 

 they are able to hunt for themselves he kills 

 for them too, and when they are able to go out, 

 which is not till they are almost a year old, 

 both parents go with them to teach them their 

 business in life. Both, but especially the lioness, 

 will defend the cubs fiercely from any danger, 



