The Lion 559 



wait, if possible, till the beast has passed you, for if you fire as he advances, 

 and fail to drop him, his first rush is likely to be in your direction. 



F. Vattghan Kir by. 



In British East Africa 

 Simba of Swahilis ; Lugwaru of Ndorobo ; Lendja of Gallas ; Libbah 



OF SOMALIS 



Very little has been written up to the present about the lion of East 

 Equatorial Africa as compared with his South African and Somaliland 

 brothers, and I regret very much that some one better qualified than myself 

 to write this notice of our East African lion has not been found to 

 undertake the task. The reason for this deficiency is not, by any means, that 

 the animal itself is scarcer, or less imposing either as to size, appearance, or 

 ferocity, but rather that this region has been much less travelled, and that 

 the lion has not here been made the special object of pursuit, as in other 

 parts, by the few who have visited the country for the purpose of sport. 

 On the contrary, wherever game is plentiful there lions are sure to be 

 common, and in some localities they are very numerous ; whilst in size 

 and magnificence of mane they are, in some instances, unsurpassed, and 

 are certainly not less aggressive than elsewhere. 



Lions are present everywhere, from the coast right through the whole 

 country, wherever there is plenty of prey (especially zebra) and water — 

 conditions which are invariably coincidental. Their habits being chiefly 

 nocturnal and their days passed, for the most part, lying low in some quiet 

 spot, they are not often seen by the traveller or hunter who does not adopt 

 special means to find or to attract them. He may often enjoy, in the still 

 African night, a thrillingly magnificent chorus, as a party — the old male 

 leading, in deliberate time, with hoarsely resounding roar, the rest chiming 

 in with lagging but harmonious voices (as of a congregation echoing the 



