STRENGTH AND PROWESS. 19 



Notwithstanding the above proofs of the great 

 strength and power of the South African lion, 

 Englishmen who have hunted in India, where, as 

 said, this animal also abounds in certain districts, 

 are inclined to think that in these respects he is 

 inferior to the royal tiger, who has been known to 

 smash a bullock's head by a single blow of his paw! 

 That the strength of the lion should be inferior to 



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that of the tiger can, however, hardly be the case, 

 since their relative size is, I take it, much the same, 

 and the structure of the skeleton (however different 

 the outward form of the animal may be) is so 

 nearly alike as to make it difficult, if not impossible, 

 to distinguish the one from the other. The notion 



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in question is not unlikely to arise from the tiger 

 being in the habit of strik'uuj his victim ; whilst the 

 action of the lion, when despatching his prey, is 

 more cat-like scratching as it were. 



Speaking of the lion's strength and prowess, 

 it may be proper here to remark that Knglish 

 naturalists, after telling us that in the Cape Colony 

 the lion is hunted with dogs, go on to say : " The 

 hounds surround him ; and rushing upon him all at 

 once, soon tear him to pieces." It is not, of course, 

 for me to gainsay such high authorities; but. 1 

 strongly suspect that the reader, after perusing 

 these pages, will agree with me in thinking that 

 even if a score of dogs were simultaneously to 

 attack the king of beasts, not only would a few 

 of them bite the dust, but he himself' would corno 

 out of the conflict all but, or altogether unscathed ! 



The usual pace of a lion is a walk, and though 



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