574 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



fountains, had compelled the game of various districts to 

 crowd the remaining springs, and the lions, according to their 

 custom, followed in the wake. It is a common thing to come 

 upon a full-grown lion and lioness associating with three or 

 four large ones nearly full-grown ; at other times, full-growr 

 males will be found associating and hunting together in a 

 happy state of friendship ; two, three, and four full-grown 

 male lions may thus be discovered consorting together. 



The male lion is adorned with a long, rank, shaggy mane, 

 which in some instances almost sweeps the ground. The 

 color of these manes varies, some being very dark, and 

 others of a golden yellow. This appearance has given rise 

 to a prevailing opinion among the Boers that there are two 

 distinct varieties of lions, which they distinguish by the 

 respective names of " Schwart fore life" and " Chiel fore 

 life ;" this idea, however, is erroneous. The color of the 

 lion's mane is generally influenced by his age. He attains his 

 mane in the third year of his existence. I have remarked 

 that at first it is of a yellowish color ; in the prime of life it is 

 blackest, and when he has numbered many years, but still 

 is in the full enjoyment of his power, it assumes a yellowish- 

 gray, pepper-and-salt sort of color. These old fellows are 

 cunning and dangerous, and most to be dreaded. The 

 females are utterly destitute of a mane, being cove^red with 

 a short, thick, glossy coat of tawny hair. The manes and 

 coats of lions frequenting open-lying districts utterly destitute 

 of trees, such as the borders of the great Kalahari desert, 

 are more rank and handsome than those inhabiting forest 

 districts. 



One of the most striking things connected with the lion 

 is his voice, which is extremely grand and peculiarly 

 striking. It consists at times of a low, deep moaning, 

 repeated five or six times, ending in faintly audible sighs ; 

 at other times he startles the forest with loud, deep-toned, 

 solemn roars, repeated five or six times in quick succession, 



