60 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



Rats, and even devouring grass to stay their hunger, so that the end 

 of the King of Beasts, if it comes naturally, must be a sad one. 



In captivity the Lion thrives well, and breeds freely; in fact, if 

 the beast were sufficiently in demand, it would have been domesticated 

 by this time, and as it is, many of the finest specimens shown in 

 menageries have been tame-bred. Such an one was Hannibal II. of 

 the Clifton Zoological Gardens, a magnificent blaclomaned animal, and 

 certainly the finest Lion I ever saw. Captive Lions in Europe, at 

 any rate, grow finer manes than wild ones, and also assume a fringe 

 of long hair along the under-parts, whereas the wild animal has only 

 a bunch behind the arm-pit. 



Many accounts show that the Lion in captivity is susceptible of 

 much attachment, and has a better disposition than most of the Cats, 

 though of course it is unwise to rely too much on such an animal ; and 

 the sad fate which overtakes so many of the " tamers " is notorious, 

 though the nature of their exhibitions is certainly such as to afford 

 some excuse for the unfortunate animals compelled to take part in 

 them. 



