LION. TIGER. JAGUAR. 69 



most frequently concealed in a bushy covert, near the source of 

 running water, they await the animal they design attacking, and 

 at a single bound alight upon their victim. 



72. At the head of this genus is placed the Lion, Felis Leo, 

 which is five or six feet in length from the end of the muzzle to 

 the origin of the tail, three feet high, distinguished by a square 

 head, the brush of hair which terminates his long tail, and the 

 mane that covers the head, neck and shoulders in the male. It 

 is the strongest of the carnivorous animals. It has an imposing 

 air, a proud look, and noble gait. Such is his power that a single 

 blow of his foot is enough to crush the sides of a horse, and to 

 knock down the strongest man with a blow of his tail. He can 

 clear at a single bound, a space of thirty feet, and he drags with 

 ease to great distances the largest bullocks. Formerly he was 

 spread over three fourths of the old world, but at present, he 

 appears to be almost confined to Africa and some of the neigh- 

 bouring parts of Asia The roar of the Lion is such, that when 

 it resounds in the mountains it resembles distant thunder. This 

 roar is hollow and deep ; in his paroxysms of rage he utters 

 another cry not less frightful, but short, broken, and reiterated. 

 Nothing is more dreadful than this animal when he prepares for 

 combat. He lashes his flanks with his long tail ; his mane be- 

 comes erect, bristling, and envelopes his whole head ; all his 

 muscles are in- motion ; his enormous eye-brows half conceal his 

 pupils ; he shows his teeth and frightful tongue, and he protrudes 

 his claws which are almost as long as the finger ; his approach 

 would freeze with terror the boldest of men. With the excep 

 tion of the elephant, rhinoceros, arid hippopotamus, no other 

 animal dares to contend with him. 



[The flesh of the Lion is eaten by the Hottentots; and a tribe 

 of Arabs, between Tunis and Algiers, live almost entirely upon it.] 



73. The animal which some authors call the American Lion, 

 is another species of the genus cat, named Cuuguar, felis 

 Concolor, which belongs to the new world. 



74. The Rnyul Tiyer, or Eastern Tiyer, Felis Tigris, is a 

 still more formidable animal than the Lion, for he equals him in 

 size and strength, and exceeds him in ferocity ; his hair is rough 

 and yellow above with transverse black stripes. (Plate 3,Jiy. 4.) 

 He inhabits India, and there commits the greatest ravages. 



75. The Jaynar, Fi-lis Onca, (the Ounce,) which is almost 

 as large as the Royal Tiger, and almost as dangerous, inhabits 



72. Wiiat aie the spi oific chaiacters of th L;ou ? Where iw lie 



73. What is the American I. ion-? 



74. What is ih. lio.al Tiger? 



75. Wh^t are the characters of the J. guar ? 



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