64 Anecdotal Natural History. 



ground, and drags it off into the bush before the alarm 

 is fairly given. 



Travellers passing through the country with a 

 train of horses and oxen, often lose a considerable 

 quantity of stock by means of the lion's nocturnal 

 visits. It is always the custom, at the approach of 

 night, to tether the horses and oxen to the bushes, 

 and making a large fire, to form an encampment 

 around it. 



The lion will prowl round and round within twenty 

 or thirty yards of the camp, but dares not approach 

 nearer on account of the fire. Finding that the cattle 

 do not seem inclined to stray, he retires to a short 

 distance, places his mouth close to the ground, and 

 gives vent to two or three of his loudest roars. The 

 oxen, alarmed by the terrible sounds, often break away 

 from their tethers and rush out into the darkness, when 

 the lion has no difficulty in making one of them his 

 victim. 



The most dreaded of all, however, is the terrible 

 " man-eating " lion, which prowls in the neighbour- 

 hood of the villages, ready to pounce upon any- 

 unprotected human being who may pass within the 

 vicinity of his lair. When once a lion has tasted 

 human flesh, he prefers it to every other kind of food, 

 and, daily growing bolder in his raids, causes a perfect 

 panic in the neighbourhood. In such a case, the 

 whole population of the village takes the field, and 

 there is no rest until the dreaded man-eater is slain. 



Several lions often band together in search of prey, 

 and act in concert, each having his appointed part. 

 In such a case, one of the lions drives the prey, 

 generally a herd of elands, or other large animals, 

 towards his companions, who lie in wait until the 

 flying animals are within reach, when they fall an easy 

 prev to their hidden foes. 



