-68 QJJ ADRUPEDS. 



kind are kept ofF by fires, whereby the inhabitants prsferve their herd*S 

 and flocks. The bright flame dazzles them, and they fear to venture 

 blindly annong their enemies. They hunt rather by fight than fmell. 



The lion, when hungry, boldly attacks all animals; but as all avoid 

 him, he is often obliged to hide, in order to furprife them. He crouches 

 on his belly in fome thicker, or among the long grafs of the foreft, with 

 patient expecflation, till his prey comes within diftance; then he fprings 

 fifteen or twenty feet, and often feizes it at the firft bound. If he mifles', 

 and in two or three reiterated fprings cannot feize his prey, he continues 

 motionlefs for a time, feems very fenfible of his difappointment, and waits 

 for a more fuccefsful opportunity. In the deferts and forefts, his ufual 

 prey are the gazelles and the monkeys, with which the torrid regions 

 abound. The latter he takes when on the ground, for he cannot climb 

 trees. He devours a great deal at a time, and generally fills himfelf 

 for two or three days. His teeth are fo flrong, that he eafily breaks the 

 bones and fwallows them. It is reported that he fuftains hunger long, 

 but not thirft, his temperament being extremely hot ; fame have afl^erted 

 that he is in a continual fever. He drinks water, lapping it like a cat. 

 He generally requires about fifteen pounds of raw flefli daily ; prefers 

 that of live animals j feldom eats what begins to putrefy, and choofes 

 rather to hunt for frefli fpoil, than to return to what he had half devour- 

 ed. His breath is very ofi^enfive, and his urine infupportable. 



The roaring of the lion, when heard in the night, and re-echoed by 

 the mountains, refembles diftant thunder. This roar is his natural note ; 

 when enraged he has a different growl, fhort, broken, and reiterated. 

 The roar is a deep hollow growl, which he fends forth particularly be- 

 fore rain. His cry of anger is much louder, and more formidable. 

 This is excited by oppofition. When the lion fummons up all his ter- 

 rors, nothing can be more terrible. He lafhes his fides with his long tail, 

 ■which alone is able to knock down a man ; his mane rifes fliffly round 

 his head ; his face is all agitation ; his huge eye-brows half cover his 

 glaring eye-balls j he (hews his teeth, formed for deftrudtion, his tongue 

 covered with points, and his claws almoft as long as a man's fingers^ 

 Thus prepared, few animals will venture an engagement ; and the bold- 

 eft of th« human kind are daunted. The elephant, the rhinoceros, the 

 tiger, and the hippopotamos, are the only animals that fingly dare oppofc 

 him. The leopard and the wild boar, if provoked, will fometimes abide 

 his approach, and wait his onfet, which he feldom makes, unlefs com- 

 pelled by hunger ; they are fometimes fuccefsful, Thefc inftances are 



rare ; 



