THE WILD BEAST TEADE. 127 



of the tamer^s head before he or the lion has any idea of what is 

 going to happen. 



Some lions will permit strangers to enter tlieir cages in com- 

 pany with the tamer. Some will even permit little familiarities 

 from visitors under the protection of the tamer. Nero, a lion 

 of peculiarly gentle disposition belonging to a menagerie travel- 

 ing in Scotland, seemed even pleased to receive visits from per- 

 sons whom his master saw fit to introduce into his cage, and 

 would treat them very graciously. When last in Edinburgh a 

 nightly exhibition was given of visitors riding and sitting on his 

 baclv, Nero the while preserving a look of magnanimous com- 

 posure, only slowly looking around at the entrance of a new 

 visitor. Another lion, in Amsterdam, would jump through a 

 hoop and barrel ; then through the same covered with paper; 

 and finally through hoop and barrel with the paper set on fire. 

 This last part he evidently disliked, but with some coaxing would 

 do it. When given meat in public he would show his forbear- 

 ance by allowing some of it to be taken from him, submitting 

 with only a short clutch and a growl ; but his countenance lost 

 its serene expression, and he would probably not long have sub- 

 mitted to this tampering. 



A keeper of wild beasts in New York had provided himself 

 with a fur cap on the approach of winter. The novelty of this 

 costume attracted the attentrion of the lion who made a sudden 

 grab at it, as the man passed the cage, and pulled it off" his head. 

 As seen, however, as he discovered it was the keeper's he 

 relinquished the cap and laid down meekly on the bottom of his 

 cage. The same animal hearing a noise under his cage put his 

 paw through the bars and hauled up the keeper, who was clean- 

 bg beneath. Seeing it was his master he had thus ill-used, he 

 immediately laid down upon his back in an attitude of complete 

 submission. 



The temper of the female is generally milder than that of the 

 male previou". to her having young. No sooner, however, does 

 she become a mother than the ferocity of her disposition becomes 

 ten-fold more vigorous, and though she will sometimes permit 

 the keeper to enter the cage and attend to her wants, too near 

 an approach, or any interference with the cubs would prove ex- 

 tremely dangerous. When disturbed by visitors the lioness 

 displays great anxiety for her young, carrying the cubs in her 

 mouth, apparently desirous of hiding them. This anxiety be- 

 gins to diminish when the young ones reach the age of about 

 five months. Lions are quite frequently born in captivity, but 

 few of these reach maturity, many dying at the time of shedding 

 their milk teeth. 



