T H E C A T K I N D. 67 



lives of fuch as were thrown to be devoured by him, to live peaceably 

 with them, to afford them a part of his fubfiftence, and fometimes to 

 want food himfelf, rather than deprive them of that life his generofity 

 had fparcd. The lion is not cruel, fince he never kills more than he 

 confumes. When fatiated, he is gentle ; while the tiger, the wolf, the 

 fox, and others, kill without remorfe, are fierce without caufe, and, by 

 their indifcriminate flaughter, feem rather to fatisfy their malignity than 

 their "hunger. 



His figure is ftriking, his look confident and bold, his gait proud, his 

 voice terrible. His ftature is compact, well proportioned, and fizeable ; 

 a perfedt model of ftrength, joined with agility ; mufcular and bold, noc 

 charged with unneceflary fat or flefli. It is fufiicient to fee him, to be 

 alTured of his fuperior force. His large head, furrounded with a dread- 

 ful mane; his mufcles, fwelling with the flighted exertions; the great 

 breadth of his paws, and the thicknefe of his limbs, evince that no 

 animal in the foreft can oppole him. He has a very broad face that, as 

 fome have imagined, refembles the human ; furrounded with long hair, 

 which gives it a very majeftic air. The top of the head, the tem- 

 ples, the cheeks, the under jaw, the neck, the bread, the (houlder, the 

 hinder part of the legs, and the belly, are furniihed with it, while all the 

 reft of the body is covered with very Ihort hair, of a tawny colour. 

 The hair about the neck and bread differs from the reft only in length ; 

 nor is each hair pointed as in mod other animals, but of equal thicknefs 

 throughout. The neck has feven joints, which is univerfal to ail qua- 

 drupeds. The tongue is rough, befet with prickles as hard as a cat*s 

 claws ; their grain turned backwards, fo that diould a lion attempt to 

 lick a man's hand, as we are told, it might tear off^the fkin. The eyes 

 are always bright and fiery j nor even in dea^h does this terrible look 

 forfake them. The ftructure of the paws, teeth, eyes, and tongue, are 

 the fame as in a cat ; and the inward parts of thefe animals fo nearly re- 

 femble, that the anatomift's chief diftindion arifes merely from the fize. 

 The lion's mane grows longer as the animal grows older : the lionefs is 

 without this ornament. This mane is not coarfc or rough, but of the 

 fame hair with the body, lengthened and fliining. The lion's colour is 

 yellow or tawny throughout the fpecies. 



The lion has not the fenfe of fmelling equal to mod other animals ; 

 and too ftrong light greatly incommodes him. His eyes, like thofe of 

 the cat, feem fitted for feeing bed in the darkj he therefore feldom ap- 

 pears in open day, but ravages chiefly by night. All animals of the cat 



No. 22. N kind 



