WILD ANIMALS AS A SOURCE OF FOOD 213 
aliases, it is said to figure in the dietary of various European 
nations. Simmonds (in Aximal Products) thus speaks of the 
culinary value of the Lion:—‘ The flesh of the lion is eaten 
by the Hottentots; and a tribe of Arabs between Tunis and 
Algeria, according to Blumenbach, live almost entirely upon it 
when they can get it. When a lion has been killed and the 
skin removed, the flesh is divided, and the mothers take each 
a small piece of the animal’s heart and give it their male 
children to eat in order to render them strong and courageous. 
They take away as much as possible of the mane, in order to 
make armlets of it, which are supposed to have the same effect. 
It would seem from the journal of the Marquess of Hastings, 
that this superstition as to eating lion’s flesh is as strong in 
India: On the death of a lion it is stated: ‘ Anxious interest 
was made with our servants for a bit of the flesh, though it 
should be the size of a hazel-nut. Every native in the camp, 
male or female, who was fortunate enough to get a morsel, 
dressed it and ate it. They have a thorough conviction that 
the eating a piece of lion’s flesh strengthens the constitution 
incalculably, and is a preservative against many particular dis- 
tempers. This superstition does not apply to tiger's flesh, 
though the whiskers and claws of that animal are considered 
as very potent for bewitching people.’ But the flesh of lions 
has also been eaten with gusto by Europeans, for Madame 
Bedichon in her work on Algeria states, that at Oran a lion 
was killed which three days before had eaten a man, and the 
prefect gave a grand dinner, the principal dish being the lion, 
which the French gentlemen assembled ate with the greatest 
relish. More recently still... a magnificent quarter of lion, 
shot in the neighbourhood of Philippeville, Algeria, by M. Con- 
stant Cheret, was sent to the Restaurant Magny, Paris, and 
served up to a party of nineteen guests, who enjoyed with gusto 
‘Estouffade de lion & la Méridionale’ and ‘Cceur de lion a la 
Castellane’.”. Among aquatic Carnivores the Seals are valuable 
as a source of food to Esquimaux and other tribes inhabiting 
cold latitudes. 
Of other aquatic Mammals used as food may be mentioned the 
Manatees (Manatus) and Dugongs (/falzcore), which constitute 
the order of Sea-Cows (Sztrenia); while reference has already 
been made (p. 209) to Whales (Cefacea) in this connection. 
