The Lion 89 



the better during the period of maternity. While the 

 pairing season lasts she is a shameless wanton, ready at 

 any moment to abandon her mate for a stronger rival. 

 Desperate combats accompany the lion's courtship, in 

 which both parties are frequently killed, and in almost 

 all instances these are brought on by the lioness, who 

 seems to take a savage pleasure in provoking such duels. 



Gerard gives the following story, which is in all essen- 

 tials a true picture of the behavior of both males and 

 females at the time spoken of. " It was in the stags' rut- 

 ting season, and Mohammed, a great hunter of every kind 

 of wild animal, perched himself at sunset in the boughs 

 of an oak tree to watch for a doe that had been seen 

 wandering in the vicinity, accompanied by several stags. 

 The tree he climbed stood in the middle of a large clear- 

 ing, and near it was a path which led into the neighbor- 

 ing forest. Towards midnight he saw a lioness enter 

 this open space, followed by a red lion, with a full- 

 grown mane, who carried the carcass of an ox. Soon after 

 they were followed by another lion, a lioness, and three 

 cubs. The first lioness strolled from the path, and came 

 and laid herself down at the foot of the oak, while the 

 lion remained in the path, and seemed to be listening to 

 some sound as yet inaudible to the hunter. 



" Mohammed soon heard a distant roaring in the forest, 

 and the lioness immediately answered it. Then the lion 

 commenced to roar with a voice so loud that the fright- 

 ened man let his gun fall, and held fast to the branch with 

 both hands lest he should tumble from the tree. 



"As the voice of the animal heard in the distance 



