THE LION. 29 



Like all cats, the lioness is very jealous of her young, and when 

 in captivity tries in- every way to keep them from being seen by 

 strangers. The cubs play about, and are as frolicsome as young 

 kittens. Their first fur is generally faintly striped and spotted ; 

 in this respect bearing some small resemblance to a tiger, though 

 the colouring is of course much less intense. 



The lioness forming the subject of the illustration is an African 

 one about .three and a half years old, and is known by the name 

 of " Duchess." She is not nearly as good-tempered as the lion, 

 and the keepers have to be very careful with her ; for she occa- 

 sionally exhibits a disposition to be savage even to them. 



In the Times of January, 1876, we read: " A favourite lioness has 

 lately died at the Dublin Zoological Gardens. ' OldGrirl' was of South 

 African race, and was born in the gardens, where she lived sixteen 

 years, brought up fifty cubs, and finally died of chronic bronchitis. 

 During her last illness ' Old Girl ' was much worried by rats, 

 which often swarm in the cages of the carnivora, and while the 

 beasts are in health, are rather an amusement than an annoyance. 

 The rats, however, began to nibble the toes of the lioness when 

 she could no longer defend herself, and accordingly a terrier was 

 placed in the cage to protect the sufferer. ' Old Girl ' at first re- 

 ceived the dog with a surly growl; when, however, she saw him kill 

 the first rat, she began to appreciate her visitor. The lioness coaxed 

 the terrier to her, folded her paws around him, and the dog slept 

 each night on her breast, enfolded with her paws, and protecting her 

 rest from disturbance." 



In the Zoological Gardens at Pesth, one morning in March, 1877, 

 the visitors had an exhibition worthy of the old Roman days, a fight 

 to the bitter end between a lioness and a leopard, a veritable romance 

 of the animal world. It appears that a lion and honess were caged 

 next door to a female leopard, with whom the lion appeared to 

 be very friendly ; not so, however, the lioness, which showed her 

 •jealousy with savage growls whenever she caught sight of the 

 occupant of the next cage. One day the keeper accidentally left 

 the chain that was used to haul up the iron divisions suspended in 

 the lion's den. The lion caught the ring in his paws and in a 

 few minutes had drawn up the partition. The lioness, seeing her 



