The Lion 



547 



standing height, 3 feet 4 inches. This, measured "over all, sportsman's 

 style," would be a 9 foot 6 inch lion. Many will look askance at these 

 figures, but let them shoot a few, then tape and record faithfully, and I 

 know that for one which exceeds, eleven will not attain these dimensions. I 

 have certainly shot some much larger, but they were big, not average lions. 

 Mr. F. C. Selous records the dimensions of two of his big lions as follows : — 



Extreme length in a 

 ning — Naturalist's 



Length of the flat 



Perpendicular 

 height" 



Girth of 



SB3£ 



Weight. 



— - 



9 ft. 11 in. 

 9 » ' » 



11 ft. 9 in. 



3 ft. 8 in. 

 3 » 4 » 



I? ill. 



4 8i in. 



410 lbs. -! 



Hartley Hills, 



Mashunaland. 

 PungwiDist.,P.E.A. 2 





The following are 



the 



dimensions of my 



four best 



lions : — 





Nature 



. , Sport 

 i>t • me.miivments. measur 









Before skinning. 





Length 



-trueht 



He 



Length 



Extrem 



length 



Length of flat 

 skin (raw).' 



dicnlar | Girth of 

 shouliler forearm, 

 height. 



shou 



n.l 

 <ler. 



Length 



District in which shot. 



7 ft. 2 



in. 



2 ft. 11 in. 



10 ft 



7 in. 



11 ft. 4 in. 



3 ft. 8 in. 



20 in. 



59 



n. 



16 in. Chiringoma,P.E.A. 



6 „ 8 



„ 



2 „ 11 „ 



10 „ 



5 ,, 



10 „ 10A 



3» 7i 



19 » 



54 



„ 



16A,, Libombo Mountains. 



6 „ 8 



„ 



2 » I0 !> 



9 ,. 



1 „ 



10 „ 6-l 



3 „ 6 „ 





53 



,. 



15 „ Chiringoma, P.E.A. 



6„4 



» 



3 » ■■■ 



10 „ 



3 „ 



10 )> 5j 



3 „ 6 >, 



18 „ 



49 



» 



r 5i „ Matamiri Bush. 



I estimated the weight of my largest lion at over 500 lbs., but 

 " estimates " are unreliable ; unfortunately we have few reliable records 

 upon the subject. Probably Mr. Selous' opinion that a lion weighing 



