CHAPTER VIII 



CATS — GREAT AND SMALL 



LION'. — Although generally known as the King of Wild Beasts, 

 and accorded the foremost position in this section of our work, it is 

 as well to recognize straight away that the Lion (Fig. 105) is really 

 not entitled to all the wonderful deeds accredited to it. 



That the male with his flowing mane is a handsome and at all 

 times interesting animal, goes without saying, but that he should 

 occupy such a prominent position as a so-called king by reason of 

 his pluck or daring is somewhat ill-deserved. Let it be said at once 

 that the Lion is in many respects a coward, and if strength counts 

 for anything in the title bestowed upon this wild monarch, then the 

 Tiger is probably his successful rival. 



Not only is the Lion found in reedy swamps and upon the plains, 

 but, as the coloured plate exhibits, its range extends into mountain- 

 ous country. The animal undoubtedly roams about for considerable 

 distances during its peregrinations after food, and in the picture the 

 artist has imagined a Lion and Lioness coming over hilly, rocky 

 ground which led into a fertile valley with a possible favourite 

 drinking-place for wild beasts. The animals are peering over the 

 edge to see if any game awaits them in the distance. 



The ambition of most big-game hunters who go forth to slay the 

 denizens of the forest and jungle is to add one or more of these beasts 

 to their bag, but it is pleasant to observe that during recent years 

 there are those — such as the intrepid Mr. Selous and Mr. Radclyffe 

 Dugmore — who have thought fit to substitute a camera for a gun. 

 Fresh from his triumphs with Mr. Roosevelt's African Expedition, 

 Mr. Dugmore has brought back some remarkable studies of bloodless 

 snapshots of animal folk in their native wilds. He says that although 

 at one time a big-game hunter himself, the idea of killing for the 

 sake of killing has lost its fascination for him, and he abandoned 

 the gun in favour of the camera because "unquestionably the excite- 



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