510 CARNIVORA 
mouthfuls, but not objecting to the whelps eating as much as they 
could find. There was a good deal of snarling and quarrelling 
among these young lions, and occasionally a stand-up fight for a 
minute, but their mother did not take any notice of them, except 
to give them a smart blow with her paw if they got in her way. 
. . . There was now little left of the zebra but a few bones, which 
hundreds of vultures were circling round waiting to pick, while 
almost an equal number hopped awkwardly about on the ground 
within 50 or 60 yards of it, and the whole lion family walked 
quietly away, the lioness leading, and the lion, often turning his 
head to see that they were not followed, bringing up the rear.” 
Though not strictly gregarious, Lions appear to be sociable 
towards their own species, and often are found in small troops, 
sometimes consisting of a pair of old Lions, with their nearly full- 
grown cubs, but occasionally of adults of the same sex ; and there 
seems to be good evidence that several Lions will associate together 
for the purpose of hunting upon a preconcerted plan. As might 
be supposed, their natural ferocity and powerful armature are 
sometimes turned upon one another; combats, often mortal, occur 
among male Lions under the influence of jealousy ; and Andersson 
relates an instance of a quarrel between a hungry Lion and Lioness 
over the carcase of an Antelope which they had just killed, and 
which did not seem sufficient for the appetite of both, ending in 
the Lion not only killing, but even devouring his mate. Old Lions, 
whose teeth have become injured with constant wear, often become 
“man-eaters,” finding their easiest means of obtaining a subsistence 
in lurking in the neighbourhood of villages, and dashing into the 
tents at night and carrying off one of the sleeping inmates. Lions 
differ from most of the smaller Felide in never climbing trees ; 
indeed, as mentioned before, they are rarely found in forests. 
With regard to the character of the Lion, those who have had 
opportunities of observing it in its native haunts differ greatly. 
The exaggerated accounts of early writers as to its courage, 
nobility, and magnanimity have led to a reaction, which causes 
some modern authors to speak of it in language quite the reverse, 
and to accuse it of positive cowardice and all kinds of meanness. 
Livingstone goes so far as to say, “‘ Nothing that I ever learned of 
the lion could lead me to attribute to it either the ferocious or 
noble character ascribed to it elsewhere,” and he adds that its roar 
is not distinguishable from that of the ostrich. Of course these 
different estimates depend to a great extent upon the particular 
standard of the writer, and also upon the circumstance that 
Lions, like other animals, undoubtedly show considerable individual 
differences in character, and behave differently under varying cir- 
cumstances. They are certainly not so reckless as‘ to be entirely 
devoid of the instinct of self-preservation, and if one, perhaps 
