322 BIG GAME SHOOTING 
meat. When Kafirs kill an animal and cut it up, they almost 
invariably tear open the paunch and intestines and‘ spill the 
contents over the meat, making everything in such a filthy 
mess that some people would lose all appetite at the very 
sight of it; but lions invariably remove the interior economy 
of their victims with a surprising neatness, and without defiling 
the meat in any way. When they have killed an animal, they 
will sometimes commence feeding on the soft meat of the 
inside of the buttocks, tearing the carcase open at the anus ; 
but in nine cases out of ten they work through the thin skin 
of the flank, at the inside of the hind leg, and then remove the 
paunch andentrails. After this they eat the heart, liver, lungs, 
and kidneys ; next, as a rule, they attack the buttocks and tear 
off the soft meat in mouthfuls, swallowing it in great lumps, 
often with the skin attached. If the animal they have killed 
is fat, they will eat the whole brisket, bones and all, and also ~ 
chew off all the ends of the ribs, but they never swallow any of 
the larger and harder bones. The paunch and entrails are 
almost invariably left untouched, and are often covered over 
with earth and grass. But there are exceptions to every rule, — 
and I think it is indisputable that in some cases lions will eat 
both the entrails and the paunch of an animal they have — 
killed. 
In March 1892, whilst examining the country between 
Manica and the East coast, in company with Mr. JesserCoope, — 
with a view to laying out a new waggon road between Umtali 
township and the railway terminus, we came suddenly upon — 
the remains of a buffalo which had been killed only a few — 
hours previously by a number of lions. These animals must 
have heard us approaching, and only retreated into the long ~ 
grass just as we rode up, and as the whole country wascovered 
with grass eight feet high all pursuit was hopeless. Judging — 
by the number of distinct ‘lay places’ round the carcase of — 
the buffalo, which were ten in number, there must either have a 
been ten lions, or five, each of which had lain down in two — 
different places. The latter number, I think, is the true esti- — 
