QlTADRUPEDS. 305 



Although the life of the lion is limited hy Buffon to about 

 twenty years, there is no doubt that it usually attains to a 

 much greater age. Pompey, who died in the year 1760, 

 had been confined in the Tower above seventy years, and 

 Another was known to have died there at the age of sixty- 

 three. Sparrman and others have impugned the character 

 of this noble animal, and alleged that a greater degree of 

 timidity exists in his constitution than is compatible with 

 courage. It may, however, be given as a piece of safe 

 advice to the inexperienced emigrant, not to place too much 

 confidence in the cowardice of lions. 



The geographical boundaries of the lion appear to have 

 been greatly circumscribed within these last two thousand 

 years. Even where it still exists in comparative abundance, 

 it is an animal of rare occurrence ; and, from many districts 

 where it once abounded, it has now entirely disappeared. 

 According to Herodotus, they were once sufficiently common 

 both in Thrace and Macedonia ; and they are known to 

 have formerly abounded in Asia, from the shores of Syria 

 to the i^anks of the Ganges and the Oxus. By what means 

 the Romans contrived to assemble those vast troops which 

 they sometimes exhibited at their games, it would now be 

 difficult to determine ; but we know that Sylla fought to- 

 gether one hundred males, and Pompey three hundred and 

 fifteen. Those of Sylla were sent by Bocchus, king of 

 Mauritania ; but at present a brace of lions would be 

 thouglit a very princely gift from any of the Moorish king- 

 doms. Even in the time of Probus, about the middle of 

 the third century, one hundred male lions, and the like 

 number of females, were exhibited. We may however 

 presume that even prior to this period they were considered 

 as rather scarce, as the hunting of the lion was forbidden 

 to the vulgar, lest the supply required for the circus should 

 be diminished. This law was abrogated in the time of Ho- 

 norius ; though their entire destruction in so many districts 

 was probably not achieved till after the introduction and 

 general use of firearms. 



As the northern parts of Africa are known to have been 

 thickly peopled during the time in which lions so greatly 

 abounded there, we may hence infer that the co-existence 

 of the larger carnivorous animals along with the human 

 race, is not, as many philosophers have imagined, altogether 

 C c2 



