266 CAPT. R. CRAWSHAY ON THE [K OV. 29. 



making da.ytiuie liideous and stampeding the game in lidiculous 

 fashion. Hai'tebeestes were sneezing, Reedbuck whistling, and 

 herds of Zebra thundering about all ovei' the place, I was 

 actually stalking him at an angle to cut him ofi', when the late 

 Surgeon AEcKay fii-ed at another Lion a few hundred yai'ds lower 

 do-wai the river, killing his fii'st Lion and spoiling my chance. 



In 1893 I had a curious experience with a Lion — also in 

 Henga, — which, for aught I know, may have occurred to me 

 oftenei- without my having been made aware of it. In stalking 

 two old bull Hartebeestes up a slope in country timbered sparsely 

 Avith sapling trees and biishes, I passed within some 20 paces of a 

 Lion lying on the bare burned ground in the shade of a sapling 

 without knowing it at the time. On my return from shooting 

 both Hai'tebeestes, one of my men followed me and told me, 

 pointing out the Lion lying under the tree. 



On setting out to stalk the Hartebeestes, I left my two gun- 

 bearers sitting on the steep slope on the other side of the stream, 

 and myself descended to cross the stream and stalk my way up the 

 opposite slope within easy view of the men. What first drew their 

 attention to the Lion was his moving his head as I passed him all 

 intent on my stalk, looking neither to my right nor left 



According to my men, I passed within 20 paces of him, to wind- 

 ward, nothing whatever intervening between us but the bare 

 fire-swept ground. He did not catch my eye as he lay in a black 

 patch of shadow — so black that when the man afterwards pointed 

 him out to me from above and not in relief, I could not make him 

 out. As I passed, he lay placidly where he was, merely raising 

 and lowering his head — like a dog winding game — as he winded 

 me. Had my eye happened to catch his, he would have behaved 

 otherwise, no doubt ; he would either have made a demonstration 

 to put me to flight, or have retreated under protest, grunting, as 

 Lions usually do. 



Another populai' idea of the Lion is that he becomes a man-eater 

 only in extreme old age from force of circumstances. I do not 

 agree Avith this at all. I believe rather that he learns this in the 

 first instance more often under the impulse of hunger or passing- 

 caprice than of failing strength, and having thus overcome the 

 natural repugnance and instinctive fear which all the lower 

 animals have for man, finds in him an easy victim and henceforth 

 constitutes him his special prey. 



In evolving this habit Lions also evolve extraordinary cunning 

 not primarily their awn. In man they recognise a creatm-e of 

 higher intelligence than theu"S, and pit themselves to meet this. 

 What they seem to become aware of is that, if they are to over- 

 come man, they must take him at a complete disadvantage — that 

 unless they do so he is their master against Avhom mere force as 

 applied to other creatures will not prevail. 



From contact with man they become extraordinarily conversant 



with his habits, using this laiowledge against him. Nevertheless, 



hough they become extraordinarily cunning in plans of attack. 



