THE LION OF SOUTH AFRICA. 71 



" When the morning arrived we examined the place, 

 and we found from the traces of the lion that he was 

 of the largest size, and that he alone had devoured 

 the heifer. The footmarks of the other lions did not 

 approach within thirty yards of the place. Two jackals 

 alone had come to finish the debris. Although I had 

 often heard spoken of the enormous quantity of food 

 which a hungry lion would devour, it required nothing 

 less than such a demonstration as this to convince me 

 that a single individual was capable of devouring all 

 the flesh of a heifer, without counting a large quantity 

 of bones ; for there only remained a rib or two and 

 even many of the marrowbones had been broken, as if 

 with a hammer." 



Livingstone says, " Whilst I was engaged in re- 

 moving our dwelling to Kolobeng, there came such a 

 large number of lions round our half-deserted homes, 

 that the natives, who remained with Mrs. Livingstone, 

 would not have dared for the world to go out of doors 

 after nightfall." 



We could multiply examples almost without limit. 



The author whom we have just quoted observes 

 somewhere, that the abundance of lions is explained 

 by that of the large game ; and of this latter he gives 

 us in many places of his book marvellous examples. 

 I cannot resist the pleasure of citing the following 

 passage : 



