-* Lions 



In 1900 I witnessed a very interesting spectacle. I 

 had been for several hours following up the tracks of 

 some lions when I came suddenly upon an ostrich's nest, 

 with some young ostriches in it only just out of their 

 shells, and with some eggs within a few hours of hatching. 

 To my astonishment the lions seemed to have disdained 

 the young birds. On examining the tracks more care- 

 fully, however, I learnt better. The old ostriches had 

 evidently espied the lions in good time in the clear 

 moonlight, and, as the tracks indicated unmistakably, had 

 enticed them away from the nest by effecting a speedy 

 retreat. The lions had followed the ostriches for about 

 a hundred yards with long springs, but had then, seeing 

 the pursuit was hopeless, fallen back into their ordinary 

 stride. In this way the ostriches succeeded in saving 

 their threatened brood. It was intensely interesting thus 

 to learn how clever these great birds are in evading 

 the attack of their dangerous enemies. 



What the natives say about lionesses being more 

 aggressive and dangerous than male lions is quite borne 

 out by my photographs, the lioness in every case being 

 the first to pounce on the prey, and the lions always 

 coming second into action. Here I would repeat that 

 lions as a rule hunt only at night, never during the 

 daytime, except at the coolest time of the year. During 

 the hot season and in the middle of the day they rest 

 in the shade. In captivity also lions show their sensitive- 

 ness to heat, and lion- trainers always find that on hot 

 summer days their pupils are but little disposed to show 

 off their accomplishments. 



VOL. i. 353 23 



