CARNIVORA. 6 1 5 



of elastic ligaments, so as not to be unnecessarily blunted. 

 The tongue is roughened and rendered prickly by the presence 

 of horny papillae, thus rendering it a most efficient rasp in 

 licking the flesh from the bones of the prey. All the members 

 of this group are exceedingly light upon their feet, and are 

 excessively muscular, and they have all the habit of seizing 

 their prey by suddenly springing upon it. 



It is questionable if any good genera have hitherto been 

 established in this family, and all the species may be con- 

 sidered as belonging to the single genus Felis. 



The Lion (Felis leo) is too well known to require much spe- 

 cial notice. Its colour is always uniform, generally a yellow- 

 ish or reddish brown. The tail is terminated by a tuft of long 

 hairs, and the male is usually furnished with a mane, which is 

 very short, however, in an Indian form. The Lion is exclu- 



Fig. 263. Skull of Lion (felis leo). 



sively confined to the Old World, and is an inhabitant of Africa 

 and all the southern parts of Asia. It is doubtful how far 

 any valid species of Lions have as yet been established. The 

 Lions are all nocturnal, and capture their prey by suddenly 

 leaping upon it. They are by no means the generous and 

 courageous animals they are generally considered to be ; but, 

 on the contrary, are cruel, cunning, and cowardly. They are 

 enormously strong, and it is said that a full-grown Lion can 

 run, and even leap, though carrying an ox in its jaws. Though 

 now much restricted in its range, the Lion had formerly a much 

 more extensive distribution, a form considerably larger than 

 the modern species having formerly existed in Europe, and 

 even in Britain (Felis speltza). Good authorities, however, doubt 

 if the " Cave-lion " is specifically separable from the existing 

 Felis leo. 



