302 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



tiger, because the dogs bring him out of cover and make him 

 stand at bay, giving the hunter plenty of time for a good delib- 

 erate shot. A man is in much more danger of being run over 

 when walking in the streets of New York, than he is of being 

 devoured by lions in Africa, unless engaged in hunting the animal. 



The lion has other checks on inordinate increase besides man. 

 He seldom attacks full-grown animals ; but frequently, when a 

 buffalo calf is caught by him, the cow rushes to the rescue, and 

 a toss from her often kills him It is questionable if a single 

 lion ever attacks a full-grown buffalo. The amount of roaring 

 heard at night, on occasions when a buffalo is killed, seems to 

 indicate there are always more than one lion engaged in the 

 onslaught. 



On the plain, south of Sebituane's ford, a herd of buffaloes 

 kept a number of lions from their young by the males turning 

 their heads to the enemy. The young and the cows were in the 

 rear. One toss from a bull would kill the strongest lion that 

 ever breathed. Livingstone says that in one part of India even 

 the tame buffaloes feel their superiority to some wild animals, 

 for they have been seen to chase a tiger up the hills, bellowing as 

 if they enjoyed the sport. Lions never go near any elephants 

 except the calves, which, when young, are sometimes torn by 

 them ; every living thing retires before the lordly elephant, yet 

 a full-grown one would be an easier prey than the rhinoceros ; 

 the lion rushes off at the mere sight of this latter beast. 



SERPENTS. 



THE Zouga river, besides attracting large numbers of wild 

 game to its waters, seems also to be the resort of many serpents, 

 not a few of which are of the most venomous kind. Livingstone 

 mentioned having seen one at Kolobeng of a dark brown, nearly 

 black color, that measured eight feet three inches in length ; and 

 it continued to distil clear poison for several hours after its head 

 was cut off. This serpent is so copiously supplied with poison 

 that it can strike an ox dead. It is sometimes called the " spit- 

 ting serpent," and is believed to be able to eject its poison a 

 considerable distance. 



