10 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Deficiency of scent lYliiscular strength. 



He lumts only by the eye, his scent being less 

 perfect than that of most other animals, it was 

 probably this deficiency that proved the salvation 

 of a modern traveller, on his perilous route 

 through the interior of the African continent. 

 Mr. M ungo Park relates, that as he was one day 

 passing through a desert, he observed a huge lion 

 stretched on the sand, reclining his bearded chin 

 on his broad extended paws, and with his eyes 

 scarcely closed, dosing in the burning sun. 

 Though he was not a little alarmed at this unex- 

 pected sight, he had, however, the presence of 

 mind to turn aside, and steal softly behind the 

 bushes in his rear, by which means he effected 

 his retreat in safety. He would not, in all pro- 

 bability, have proved so fortunate, had this tre- 

 mendous monster possessed that acute sense of 

 smelling with which most species of quadrupeds 

 are endowed. 



In speaking of the muscular strength of the 

 lion, naturalists have observed, that a single 

 stroke of his paw is sufficient to break the back 

 of a horse, and one sweep of his tail will bring 

 the strongest man to the ground. Kolben has 

 remarked, that when the lion overtakes his prey, 

 he always knocks it down, and seldom bites it 

 till he has given the mortal blow, which is gene- 

 rally accompanied with a tremendous roar. 



A lion was once seen at the Cape of Good 

 Hope, to take a heifer in his mouth, and to carry 

 her off with the same ease as a cat does a rat. 



