THE LION 49 



way, and are very useful in tearing the flesh of its victims. They 

 are so very sharp, that they cut almost Hke so many knives. 



We have now learned that a lion resembles a cat in the 

 character of his claws, the pads upon his feet, his whiskers, his 

 eyes, and his teeth. But there is still another part of the body in 

 which the two animals are very much alike, and that is the tongue. 



Skull of Cat 



Skull of Lion 



You know that if a dog licks your hand, the tongue feels soft 

 and wet; while, if a cat does so, the tongue feels rough and dry. 

 If you look at a cat's tongue carefully, you will find that it is 

 covered all over with sharp, hard points, somewhat like the teeth 

 upon a file, and all directed backwards. It is the scraping of 

 these against your skin that you feel when a cat licks your hand. 



A cat or a lion cannot crush and eat the bones of its victims, 

 as a dog can. But, by licking them with its rough tongue it can 

 scrape all the flesh from off them. 



Of course the points upon a lion's tongue are much rougher 

 and stronger than those upon the tongue of a cat; and if a lion 

 were to lick your hand, it would quickly scrape away the skin. 



Once a gentleman very nearly lost his life in this way. He 

 had a tame lion cub, which was a great pet, and used to sleep in 

 his room. On one occasion, when he was lying in bed, the animal 

 came up, and, to show his affection for his master, began to lick 

 his hand. In a very few seconds his rough tongue drew blood; 

 now, when a lion has once tasted human blood it never afterwards 

 loses the desire for it, and becomes what is known as a " man- 



(M868) E 



