22 THE LION. 



buffalo, one of the fiercest and most formidable of 

 African beasts but often has to pay dear for his 

 temerity ; for should there be several buffaloes in 

 company, or others near at hand, the probability is 

 he will be gored to death. 



Delegorgue even goes so far as to say that the 

 lion not unfrequently destroys the huge white 

 rhinoceros, an animal which all but rivals the 

 elephant in regard to strength and bulk. His 

 words are : 



" Maintes fois trouvai-je des rhinoceros de la 

 plus haute taille, que ni leur poids, ni leur force, 

 ]ii leur fureur, n'avaieut pu preserver de la mort. 

 La place de combat 6t.ait visible ; partout elle utait 

 fouMe, et 1'empreinte du lion s'y lisait sur chaque 

 point," 



This, however, is quite contrary to my own ex- 

 perience, and that of somo of the most celebrated 

 African hunters. As a rule, indeed, lions arc said 

 to make themselves scarce where the rhinoceros 

 abounds. Occasionally, it is true, the lion will 

 surprise and destroy the young of this animal as 

 well as that of the elephant ; but even the hyena is 

 known to accomplish this feat. 



Unless the rhinoceros be previously wounded, 1 

 myself am doubtful if the lion ever ventures to 

 attack the adult animal ; and even if it be maimed ) 

 he would not always seem to prove the victor. 1 

 judge so because when on one occasion I was fol- 

 lowing the spoor of a black rhinoceros (which is 

 greatly inferior in size and strength to the white) 

 that 1 had wounded on the preceding day, I came 



