THE LION 25 



They are capable of covering very large distances when 

 on the move, and no doubt their activity is largely 

 measured by the fulness or otherwise of their stomachs. 

 They often appear to rest for a considerable time even 

 during the night, so far as may be judged by the appear- 

 ance of the "forms" next morning. Early cock-crow 

 is a favourite drinking time, and, whether they have just 

 enjoyed a meal or not, it seems usual for them to slake 

 their thirst at least once in twenty-four hours, though 

 seldom two nights running at the same place, at least 

 where water is at all plentiful. Their methods of hunting 

 and killing large animals have been so well described 

 by Mr. Selous and others that it is not necessary to 

 add anything to what they have said. They prey on 

 all the greater herbivora with the exception of the 

 pachyderms, though one instance of an attack on a full- 

 grown hippopotamus came under our notice. The dead 

 victim is always dragged to the spot chosen for a meal, 

 never carried unless very small. 



When lions are hungry, very little comes amiss. One 

 of the rangers, when camping out, had a lot of traps 

 set for small wild cats, using rats as bait. A couple 

 of lions one night went the complete round of the 

 traps, and took every single bait away ! While the 

 writer was staying at one of the outlying picquets, a 

 pair of lions came round the camp at night and tore up 

 a sack which contained some porridge, besides breaking 

 a calabash which had mealies in it, in both cases obviously 

 with the object of getting at the contents. Much the 

 same thing happened one night on the Sabi, when a 

 party of lions demolished a sack of mealies which had 

 been left in the bush some fifty yards from Major Eraser's 

 wagon ; on this occasion the greater part of the contents 

 were simply strewn on the ground. Still more depraved 



