■376 THE GAME OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



plain and hear a distant roaring from the north ; shortly afterwards they might hear a nearer 

 roaring upwind from the east, and presently another from the south. Then they might hear a 

 roar again closer from the east, and again what they would imagine to be quite near from the 

 north. They would then perhaps get a whiff of lion from upwind and would stampede westwards, 

 where a lion might be awaiting them, having sent his lioness to do the roaring. 



The roaring of the lion, described in an earlier passage, that came down to feed off the 

 impala, was probably to call his fellows, and doubtless, by some indication in the roar, they 

 were able to know that they were being called. 



However, there is a certain kind of roar, a moan followed by three short, sharp syllables, 

 which I have seldom heard, but which I imagine to be a call, either of a male for a female, or for a 

 party wishing to join another party. I have heard it given by parties in different directions 

 approaching each other, either at sunset or in the morning before lying up. 



Again, by roaring at intervals, lions are able to inform one another of their whereabouts, and 

 so to act in concert. When actually in pursuit of an animal they employ a series of short, sharp 

 grunts. These can be heard at a considerable distance, and are presumably to keep the others 

 informed as to the progress of the chase, so that they can join in when they are able to. 



I believe, however, that the chief use of roaring is for the purpose of driving game to one 

 another, and often in such cases the fact that the roar sounds as if the lion was much nearer than 

 he actually is serves to unduly frighten the game and make them stampede wildly in the required 

 direction without taking precautions for wind. 



Again, a lion, having stalked an animal, may suddenly spring out on it with a loud roar or 

 growling sound, calculated to terrify it into momentary inaction. A wounded lion will roar 

 on being approached, or will throw himself with a loud roar at his adversary. This is 

 presumably a roar of anger, and is intended to terrify his opponent into submission, 

 serving the same purpose as the growl with which a dog falls upon another. These are, 

 however, exceptional roars. With the ordinary roars the usual procedure on the plains is as 

 follows : — 



At sunset and for an hour or two afterwards roars are heard from different directions. 

 This is followed by a period of silence. Later, if one happens to be in the neighbourhood of the 

 hunt, the pursuing grunt, grunt is heard, and then all is silent again till early in the morning 

 when roaring is again heard, and often lasts for an hour or two after sunrise. Presumably the first 

 roaring perplexes the game or herds them into the required position. After this probably a stalk 

 is made, and some animal is marked down and pursued in the required direction, other lions joining 

 in and rounding up the animal. They then feed, and leaving the kill in the early morning proceed 

 to water, and after that to their lying-up spots, roaring meanwhile. 



At other times, and especially where herds of small game are concerned, a drive is held, 

 and the lion that is to drive roars intermittently the whole time, whilst the others, which post 

 themselves like guns for a grouse drive, remain silent. Why lions should almost always roar when 

 going to water I do not know, unless it is for practice. They cannot roar whilst feeding, nor is it 

 advisable to do so during the day, or they would disclose their retreat. 



Vultures. — When vultures are circling in the air it usually means that they are waiting to 

 descend to a kill, but that there is still some animal over it. When a number of vultures are seen 

 in a tree it means that they have finished a kill and are digesting the food. 



Polyandry tn Lions. — I have on several occasions seen one lioness accompanied by two lions, 

 and am inclined to think that this condition is not unknown amongst them. 



