l.oVti AND GALLAKTIiY. 41 



befall her; thinking not of satisfying his own 

 hunger until such times as his wife has eaten her 

 fill. His love is not confined to the pairing season, 

 for at all times, and under all circumstances, lie 

 evinces for her the tenderest regard." 



But the love and affection thus shewn by the lion 

 for the lioness, would not seem to be always duly 

 reciprocated. Indeed, according to the author just 

 quoted, " she is of a somewhat fickle disposition, for 

 if a stronger and more courageous lion presents 

 himself and solicits her favours, she deserts her 

 spouse, and places herself under the protection of 

 his rival." "What she seeks for in the first in- 

 stance," Gerard goes on to say, " is a full-grown 

 and adult mate, who is able to rid her of the young 

 lions, her suitors, whose constant combats with eacli 

 each other on her account weary her out." In 

 Algeria, according to Gerard, at the end of January, 

 when adult male lions, strangers to each other, 

 meet at the fountain, or elsewhere, desperate battles, 

 not unfrequently ending in the death of one or both 

 of the combatants, take place, yet it is more espe- 

 cially during the pairing season that those animals 

 exhibit a belligerent disposition. 



" It is then not uncommon," says Gerard, in his 

 usual poetical style, " to see a lioness accompanied 

 by three or four young lions, her admirers, who fight 

 desperately amongst themselves for her favours; but 

 as she at length becomes weary of seeing that they 

 are unable to destroy one another on her account, 

 she leads them towards a errand old lion, whose 



O * 



