14 NATURAL HISTORY. 



texture of a Cat's and a Dog's tongue. In the latter it is as smooth as in ourselves, in the former 

 it lias more of the texture of a piece of coarse sandpaper. 



In some Felida, such as the Domestic Cats, the pupil, or small aperture in front of the eye which 

 lets in light to the sensitive retina beyond, has the round shape it possesses in man, only in the dark, 

 when it is dilated to receive every ray of light available. In the day, on the other hand, when more 

 light is to be had than the animal requires, the pupil contracts to an ellipse, or in the strongest light 

 to a mere line. This is not the case in the larger Cats, such as the Lion, Tiger, and Leopard, in which 

 also the eyes themselves and the cavities in the skull for their reception are smaller, proportionally, 

 than in the Domestic Cat. 



Taking the structure of the Cat tribe, all in all, there is nothing whatever to make it the least 

 difficult to suppose that they all sprang from one stock, and that size and colour, and every other point 

 in which they now differ from each other, may have been brought about, through long periods of time, 

 as the result of the influence of their surroundings. It is necessary to presume this, for classifiers 

 from necessity lay hold on the most minute differences, for the sake of making proper specific 

 distinctions, although these differences may be merely the outcome of some change of locality, warmer, 

 or colder, drier, or moister, higher upon the hills, or lower down on the plains. Once developed, 

 however, it becomes hereditary, and then a variety becomes a race, and a race solidifies into a species. 

 Yet, the result once obtained, however it arose, the profit is great to us who are careful observers and 

 enthusiastic admirers of the infinite fecundity of Nature. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE CAT FAMILY THE LION. 



THE LION Its Geographical Distribution at the Present Day and in Ancient Times Its Haunts Varieties of the Lion- 

 Distinction between the Lion and other Cats-Its Courage, Speed, and Strength Its Roar Its supposed Magna- 

 nimity-Its Habits Man-eating Occasional resort to Vegetable Diet Love-making The Lion-cubs and their 

 Education Old Age Breeding in Captivity Lion-hunting. 



THE LION.* 



THE " King of Beasts " must, of course, be placed at the head of our list of beasts of prey, for 

 although he is excelled in size and ferocity by the Tiger, in elegance of form by the Leopard and 

 Jaguar, and in beauty of colouring by most of the great Cats, yet it would be useless, even if it were 

 advisable, to depose him from the throne he has, by the universal consent of mankind, so long 

 occupied. And, truly, who would wish to uncrown him ? He is anything but an amiable beast 

 cruel and cowardly, greedy, treacherous, noisy, and self-asserting, never forgetful of the " divine right 

 kings" to prey upon their subjects; but still he is quite on a level, in the matters of morality and 

 itness to reign, with a very large proportion of his brother sovereigns of the genus Homo, with whom 

 he well deserves a place in that limbo where, according to the mildly-spiteful poet of Olney, dwell " all 

 that ever reigned" of the kings of men. 



The Lion is entirely confined to the Old World, where it ranges through Africa fromBarbary to 



Colony, and extends into the south-west corner of Asia, where its range just overlaps that of the 



:cept in this " debateable land" the two monarchs keep clear of one another, the Lion 



Beeping court over Africa and South-west Asia, and the Tiger ruling in Southern and Eastern Asia, 



J most important pretender in either kingdom being the Leopard. 



With respect to the subject of distribution of the Lion in ancient times, we will quote from 

 That Lions were once found in Europe there can be no doubt. Thus it is 



* Felis lea. 



