268 THE GAME OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



in an animal is often described as a variety, whereas it is but an individual variation in that 

 one animal. 



Some authorities describe black-maned, tawny-maned, and red-maned lions as three 

 different varieties, whilst others go even further, and divide up almost every shade of mane into 

 a separate variety. 



It seems as if there ought to be another word in use to denote a bond fide variety and a 

 variation which is but of an individual or of an occasionally recurring variation. An animal such 

 as the northern form of Grant's gazelle might be considered as a bond fide variety. If one finds 

 in a certain locality herds of animals all differing in some slight degree from the type of the 

 species they are distinctly a variety. It seems to me that a bond fide variety must be local to 

 fulfil the requirements of its being a stepping-stone in the formation of a new species. Judged 

 by this standard, the Masai lions might possibly be considered a variety, but black or other 

 coloured maned lions are types which may occur wherever lions are found, and, moreover, 

 different types may occur in the same troop or the same litter. Such differences in colour are 

 possibly caused by the same influences that cause melanism, either partial or complete, and are 

 in no way confined to local races. 



Apart from the colours of their manes, lions may be roughly divided into two types, differing 

 to a certain extent in their habits and habitat. These are the plain-dwelling lions and the 

 bush-dwelling lions. The former live almost entirely on zebra and hartebeest, whilst the latter 

 appear to rely for existence chiefly on bush-pig, though they occasionally kill buffalo and also 

 small buck that live in herds, such as the impala and kob. 



The Plain-dwelling Lion. — This animal always has plenty of game upon which to feed, and 

 the game are so foolish and easily caught that it never has much difficulty in catching them ; for 

 this reason the plain-dwelling lion has many characteristics which it does not share with the bush- 

 dwelling type. 



Foremost of these characteristics is that, not having to work so hard for its living, it is less 

 cunning and of lazier habits than its bush congener. It seldom has to go far for water, and, 

 having drunk, it seldom goes far to lie up for the day, and often takes a position in a reed-patch 

 or grass close at hand. It is seldom tempted to kill stock, as that would be more trouble than the 

 simple killing on the plains, and besides there is always plenty of its favourite food about, 

 namely, zebra. As there is always plenty of food, these lions often go about in large troops. 

 I have never seen more than nine full-grown lions together, but much greater numbers have been 

 reported. Some people, however, count cubs in the total, so if two lionesses happened to be together 

 with litters, this would at once make a total of fourteen or so. In consequence of going about in 

 larger numbers, and also because of the number of hyaenas and vultures frequenting the plains, 

 and the ease with which the latter can detect a kill, there is seldom anything left of a kill twelve 

 hours or so after it has been procured. Thus it is unusual and almost unknown for these lions to 

 return to a kill the following night. I have seen two lions picking the bones of a kill one or two 

 nights old, but this is an exceptional instance, and probably they had remained lying near the kill 

 during the previous day. 



The game of the plains seem almost fearless of lions during the day, and let them pass 

 through their midst or at quite close quarters. I think the funniest sight I have ever seen were 

 two belated lions slinking home looking very self-conscious and ashamed of themselves, whilst a 

 small herd of kongoni followed them, trotting after them a little way, and then standing and 

 staring at them till they passed on, and then trotting after them again. 



