26 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



was the taste of a lion which consumed entirely a very 

 much soiled flannel shirt, the property of a native. 

 Finding it laid out near the water wherein it was pro- 

 posed on the morrow to wash it, he at once recognized 

 and treated it as a delicacy. 



Lions have no objection to carrion, indeed they rather 

 prefer having their meat killed for them to being at 

 the trouble of catching it f cr themselves ; nor does 

 the fact of the carcass being "high" (to put it mildly) 

 hinder them in the least. I recollect once setting a 

 number of traps round a dead horse to catch hyaenas. 

 About the third day the air was tainted for a very long 

 distance down wind, and these scavengers began to 

 collect from far and wide. On the next night a lion 

 came ; got caught for a time in one of the traps, and, 

 whether in his natural annoyance thereat, or in resent- 

 ment at having been led by the hyaenas into a dangerous 

 place, at once slew a couple of the unfortunate animals. 



Lions have no scruples in bullying other and smaller 

 members of the cat tribe when opportunity offers. On 

 one occasion three of them had apparently lain up for 

 the day under the shade of a tree, just where a female 

 serval cat with three young ones had made her lair. 

 The kittens being too small to run away, the lions killed 

 all three, seemingly in pure wantonness, as they did not 

 eat them. Another time I was following up some lions 

 when I came to a spot where a leopard, having killed 

 an impala, had been enjoying a meal. The tracks 

 showed that one of the lions had made a rush, where- 

 upon the rightful owner of the meat had made the best of 

 his way up the nearest tree, there to remain angry but 

 helpless, while the intruders were consuming his hard- 

 earned spoils. 



It is a fortunate thing that full-grown lions are unable 



