THE CAT FAMILY— LION. 



Ill 



but agility comes in time. Towards the close of the 

 first year they have attained the size of a strong Dog. 

 In the third year the mane begins to appear in the 

 male, but full growth and distinction of sex are only 

 completed in the sixth or seventh year. The age a 

 Lion attains is in proportion to the slow develop- 

 ment. There are cases on record where Lions have 

 lived to be seventy years old in captivity ; although 

 they lose much of their beauty and show signs of 

 decay rather early, in spite of the best of care. 



He needs about eight pounds of fresh meat daily. 

 This will keep him in fine condition and he will 

 grow fat on it. 



I have taken care of a Lioness for 

 two years. She became accustomed 

 to the household in a very short time 

 and enjoyed the freedom of the whole yard. She 

 soon followed me about ilke a Dog, caressed me at 

 every opportunity and annoyed me only by coming 

 to my bed in the night and awakening me with her 



Experience 



with a 



Tame Lioness. 



THTT STTWFOAL LION Although there are differences in the Lions found in various parts, they are so shght as to scarcely justify a 



- ' .^ J- ^^''■^ Ti,» irin;5^A»l vrrrance is in the mane of the male, which is largest and darkest in the Barbary Lion. In the Senegal Lion the 

 scientific division. The principal variance is in t^iem^^^^^^^ o ^^e ' • ^,^^ .^ ^^^ ^.^^ ^.^ j^.^^^^^_ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^.^ p^^^ ^^^ 



"eTboutt tlkrth^f ^eal'b^t a^^ --^s, which they would like to know more about before commencing. (Felis 



ieo senegalensis.) 



The Lion Lions captured young may become very 

 in tame if they receive mtelligent care. 1 hey 



Captuity. know their keeper and become attached to 

 him in proportion to the attention he bestows on 

 them. One cannot imagine a more amiable creature 

 than a Lion tamed in this way, which has forgotten 

 his freedom, and I might say his Lionhood, and de- 

 votes himself to Man with his whole soul. With 

 good fpod a Lion will live in captivity for years. 



caresses. A few weeks after her arrival she reigned 

 supreme in our yard. She teased and frightened all 

 the other animals in every imaginable way. The 

 only one that defied her successfully was a Marabou. 

 At their first meeting the bird went up to her and 

 gave her so thorough a lesson with its huge beak that 

 after a prolonged fight she had to give in. She 

 would often lie down like a Cat, and then jump on 

 one of us, like the Cat on a Mouse, her only intention 



