THE LION AND HIS KIN 85 



animals. Major Barrett Hamilton accompanied the British 

 contingent, and also made a report. And it is curious 

 to note that on some points he is diametrically opposed, 

 not only to the American naturalists, but to all other 

 writers on this theme. He contends, for example, that 

 " nothing could better illustrate the fact that it is the 

 cows, and not the bulls, which have the real control of 

 the harem-system." He traced the rapid growth of two 

 harems from four or five to as many as eighty cows. And 

 he tells these were completely out of control and free 

 to move about as they wished. " The bulls, in spite of all 

 their bluster, had the flimsiest of nominal dominion, and 

 the cows were always able to, and frequently did, leave 

 the harems daily to dally with the cowless bulls on the 

 outside. Yet ... as long as they chose to sit massed 

 together on the ground which had been appropriated by 

 the two stronger bulls, no weaker rivals could approach 

 to within ten yards of them. The master of the harem 

 had no control over its occupants, but he was absolute 

 lord of the ground on which they sat." This is certainly 

 curious, but more so is the fact that these females were 

 allowed to return by the " cowless bulls " outside the 

 charmed circle. Later in the season he tells us he wit- 

 nessed an even better illustration of this singular beha- 

 viour. At this time " the division of the cows into 

 harems was a very unequal one, the smaller bull being 

 only able to keep a very few cows, while the larger one 

 claimed the greater part of the rookery. But the cows 

 could pass over to the smaller bull's ground as often as 

 they liked ; and he probably was father to a great many 

 more of the pups born in 1898 than those of the half-dozen 

 cows over whom he claimed control." In regard to two 

 Other bulls in another Dart of the island, there rame a 



