412 ANIMALS OF THE 



lion emits his urine backwards, yet he couples in 

 the ordinary manner; and, as was said before, 

 his internal structure in almost every respect re- 

 sembles that of a cat. The lioness, however, 

 is upon these occasions particularly fierce, and 

 often wounds the lion in a terrible manner. She 

 goes with young, as I am assured by her keeper, 

 no more than five months ; the young ones, which 

 are never more than two in number, when brought 

 forth are about the size of a large pug-dog, harm- 

 less, pretty, and playful ; they continue the teat 

 for twelve months, and the animal is more than 

 five years in coming to perfection. As to its age, 

 from its imprisoned state we can have no cer- 

 tainty ; since it is very probable that, being de- 

 prived of its natural climate, food, and exercise, 

 its life must be very much abridged. However, 

 naturalists have hitherto been greatly mistaken as 

 to the length of its existence. The great he-lion, 

 called Pompey, which died in the year 1760, was 

 known to have been in the Tower for above 

 seventy years ; and one lately died there which 

 was brought from the river Gambia, that died 

 above sixty-three. The lion, therefore, is a very 

 long-lived animal ; and very probably, in his na- 

 tive forests, his age exceeds even that of man 

 himself." 



In this animal, all the passions, even of the 

 most gentle kind, are in excess, but particularly 

 the attachment of the female to her young. The 

 lioness, though naturally less strong, less coura- 

 geous, and less mischievous than the lion, be- 

 comes terrible when she has got young ones to 



