LION. 339 



retirement in his den, which he seldom leaves, 

 except for the purpose of prowling about for his 

 prey : his teeth are so strong that he breaks the 

 bones with perfect ease, and often swallows them 

 together with the flesh : his tongue, as in other 

 animals of this genus, is furnished with reversed 

 prickles; but they are so large and strong in the 

 Lion, as to be capable of lacerating the skin. The 

 Lioness is said to bring forth in the spring, in the 

 most sequestered places, and to produce but one 

 brood in the year : the young are four or five in 

 number, which the parent nurses with great assi- 

 duity, and attends in their first excursions for 

 prey. When brought into Europe, Lions have 

 been known to breed even in a state of confine- 

 ment ; instances of which are recorded by some of 

 the older naturalists. In the tower of London also 

 examples of a similar nature have occurred. The 

 young animals are scarce so large as small pug 

 dogs, and are said to continue at the teat about 

 the space of a year, and to be five years in coming 

 to maturity. If we may judge from some speci- 

 mens of young Lions in the Leverian Museum, 

 which are said to have been whelped in the tower, 

 their size seems scarce to exceed that of a half- 

 grown kitten : indeed, some of the ancient -writers 

 have affirmed, that the young Lions are hardly 

 larger than Weasels. 



(f The Lion (says BufFon), when taken young, 

 and brought up among domestic animals, is easily 

 accustomed to live, and even to sport innocently 



