so THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



eater". The gentleman knew this; and, when the animal growled 

 as he tried to draw his hand away, he felt at once that his pet 

 must die. So with his right hand he drew a heavy pistol from 

 under his pillow, and shot the lion through the head. 



The lion can also lap water with his tongue, just as a cat 

 laps milk. For the tongue of a cat can be turned up at the edges, 

 so as to make a kind of scoop, or spoon. The tongue of a lion is 

 formed in just the same way, so that he can use it for drinking, 

 as well as for scraping the flesh from the bones of his prey. 



Thus, in the character of his paws, his claws, his eyes, his 

 whiskers, his teeth, and his tongue, the lion is exactly like a very 

 big and strong cat. 



Now let us learn something of the habits of the lion. 



We should guess, from the way in which his eyes are made, 

 that he must be abroad chiefly by night, and that he would be 

 likely to sleep during the day in some dark retreat. And this is 

 exactly what he does. All day long, unless he is very hungry, 

 he lies hidden in the thickest parts of the forest, where even the 

 most skilful hunter cannot follow him, and sleeps securely in his 

 lair. But when night falls he wakes up, and sallies forth in search 

 of food. 



By the aid of his sharp eyes, or his keen scent, he soon detects 

 his prey. Then he creeps up slowly and silently, just as a cat 

 creeps up to a mouse or a bird, and with a mighty spring and a 

 loud roar he leaps upon it, and bears it down to the ground. 



Having done this, he first drinks the blood, and then feeds 

 upon the flesh of his victim till he is satisfied; then he seeks his 

 lair, to spend the day in sleep. 



Meanwhile, a number of the smaller carnivora, such as jackals 

 and hysenas, have sat quietly waiting until he had finished his 

 meal, when they make their repast. 



The lion is very much afraid of fire, and therefore hunters 

 and travellers, when they are camping for the night, always light 

 a large fire, and tether their horses and oxen around it. 



But the lion is said to adopt a way of capturing one of the 

 animals without coming near the fire at all. Putting his mouth 

 close against the ground, he roars as loudly as he can. The 



