414 ANIMALS OF THE 



the name of the American Lion, is, when com- 

 pared, a very contemptible animal, having neither 

 the shape, the size, nor the mane of the lion ; be- 

 ing known to be extremely cowardly, to climb 

 trees for its prey, to subsist rather by its cunning 

 than its courage, and to be inferior even to the 

 animal that goes by the name of the American 

 Tiger. We ought not, therefore, to confound this 

 little treacherous creature with the lion, which all 

 the ancients have concurred in denominating the 

 king of beasts, and which they have described as 

 brave and merciful. " Indeed, the numerous ac- 

 counts which they have given us of this animal's 

 generosity and tenderness, show that there must 

 be some foundation for the general belief of its 

 good qualities ; for mankind seldom err when 

 they are all found to unite in the same story. 

 However, perhaps the caution of Aristophanes, 

 the comic poet, is better followed in practice, 

 who advises us to have nothing to do with this 

 creature, but to let the lioness suckle her own 

 whelps."* 



THE TIGER. 



" THE ancients had a saying, That as the pea- 

 cock is the most beautiful among birds, so is the 

 tiger among quadrupeds.} In fact, no quadruped 



* Ou XV* %-wros ffxvfivo* tv <xo\u r^t^to. 



j- Tantum autcm prwstat pulchritudinc tigris inter alias facras, quantum 

 inter volucrcs pavo. 



