THE LION 489 



The LION (Felis leo). 



Anibassa of the Abyssinians. Libbaka of the Abyssinians (Dan- 

 Asced of the Arabs. akil). 



Empologo. Mkango or Nkalamo in the Chilala 

 Imbubi of the Swazis and and Chibisa countries. 



Zulus. Simba of the Swahilis. 



Karamo of the M'Kua. Tau of the Basutos. 



Lendjandnck of the Gallas. Tauw in Barotsiland. 



Libbah of the Somalis. Tauw in Ngamiland. 

 Zaki of the Hausas. 



Any description of such a familiar animal as the lion (the only cat 

 in which the male is furnished with a mane on the head and shoulders, 

 and a tuft of long hair to the tip of the tail) would obviously be 

 superfluous here. One of the great points of interest attaching to the 

 species is its wide geographical distribution. Several local races are 

 now recognised. Somali lions, for instance, are smaller and greyer 

 than those from either the Cape or Algeria, although their manes are 

 often very fine ; and the Asiatic lion (F. leo gujratensis), distinguished 

 by its small, straight, and tawny mane and pale tawny colour, is 

 certainly another distinct local race. Heights of 3 feet 3^ and 3 feet 

 8 inches at the shoulder have been recorded in African specimens (the 

 larger measurement by Mr. Selous), and 3 feet 6 inches in an Indian 

 example (by Gen. W. Rice). Lieut-General Sir Arthur Paget estimated 

 the weight of a Somali lion at about 550 Ibs. Wild lions never develop 

 the enormous manes frequently seen in menagerie examples. 



A lion's skull may be easily recognised when placed beside that of 

 a tiger by the fact that in the former the terminations of the sutures 

 dividing the frontal from the nasal and maxillary (jaw) bones are 

 situated nearly in the same transverse line, while in the latter 

 the nasal bones extend much farther back than the maxillary. More- 

 over, the lower jaw of a lion will stand much flatter on a table than 

 that of a tiger. 



Distribution. In modern times Africa from Algeria to the Cape, 

 Mesopotamia on the west flanks of the Zagros range, Persia south 

 of Shiraz, and India in the districts of Kathiawar, Sind, the Central 

 Provinces, and Bundelcund. Now rare in India, where it is con- 

 fined to the Gir forest in Kathiawar. 



