The Cat Family. 135 



THE LION 



The Lion (Felis-leo), the largest, strongest and most 

 courageous member of the Felidae, is rightly named the 

 king of beasts. It was at one time frequently seen in 

 Algeria, Musholaland and other parts of Central Africa, 

 South Western Asia, Arabia and Guzarat in India. In 

 ancient times it was found in much colder climates than its 

 present range, which is becoming more and more restrict- 

 ed. Now the large, lean, short maned East African Lion 

 is the most numerous variety of the Felis-leo. The Lion 

 lives chiefly on sandy plains or in rocky places interspersed 

 with thorn thickets ; but it also frequents the low bushes 

 and tall rank grasses and reeds along the edges of streams, 

 where it lies in wait for the larger herbivorous animals 

 upon which it feeds. It is occasionally seen abroad in the 

 day time, but the night is the period of its greatest 

 activity. The Lion usually trots and sometimes even gal- 

 lops, but its ordinary pace is a walk. It cannot climb, but 

 has been known to jump over fences twelve foot high in 

 pursuit of its prey. It fears nothing but fire. 



The roar of the Lion is deep, impressive and appalling ; 

 but it is an established fact that formidable and merciless 

 as the Lion is when aroused it will not go out of its way 

 to attack a human, but will avoid a conflict unless it is 

 famished or defending its young, or approached so close 

 that it is .afraid to turn and retreat. 



The adult male Lion is about ten feet long measuring 

 from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail ; the color is a 

 uniform tawny brown, and the tail is tipped with a tuft of 

 elongated black hairs. 



There are individual eases where the adult Lion is of a 

 deep red or chestnut brown color, and occasionally one 

 is seen whose skin is almost silver grey. The young 

 when born, and for several months after, are spotted or 

 striped. They play like kittens, and the mother carries 

 them by the back of the neck. The period of gestation is 

 about one hundred days, and from two to three whelps 

 are produced at a birth. 



