CARNARIA. CARNIVORA. 77 



The Lion is found throughout the whole of Africa, 

 and the southwest of Asia; he formerly infested even 

 the southeast of Europe, but thence he has long dis- 

 appeared. There is, however, some reason for be- 

 lieving that the African and Asiatic Lions are two 

 species, of which the latter is rare, except in the 

 eastern regions of Persia. It is in Africa that he 

 reigns in his majesty, where, especially in the south, 

 he stalks over the vast plains, complete lord of the 

 ascendant, and finds abundance of prey in the count- 

 less herds of antelopes and quaggas that graze on 

 the parched herbage. 



The broad front of the Lion, adorned with a long 

 and shaggy mane, which is erected when he is angry, 

 his muscular limbs, and his tufted tail, give him an 

 appearance differing from that of his congeners. 

 Still, however, in structure and habits he is a ge- 

 nuine Cat. The colour is a dusky yellow, more in- 

 clining to brown in the African variety, in which 

 the mane is also darker and much larger. When 

 young, the body is marked with several distinct, 

 though faint, stripes and spots ; a remarkable cir- 

 cumstance, as indicating a tendency to that spotted 

 hue so characteristic of the genus. The Puma whose 

 coat in adult age is of an uniform hue, is in youth 

 similarly varied. 



The voice of the Lion, his well known roar, has 

 obtained deserved celebrity ; it is stated to be pecu- 

 liarly grand and terrific, even resembling the noise 

 of an earthquake. He prowls by night, rarely prey- 

 ing while the sun is up ; and is said to be particu- 



