38 



The Living Animals of the World 



1/ pe^nnission of Herr Carl Hagenbeck] 



A HAPPY FAMILY. 



[ffamburff. 



Horo ia a croup of animals and theii- keeper from Ilerr Hagenbeck's Thierpark. The animal in front 

 is a cro.^ between a lion and a tij.Tess ; he lives on quite friendly terms with his keeper, and also with 

 lions, tigers, and leopards, as seen in the ithotogr.iph. 



of male lions carry heavy 

 manes, the long hair of 

 which does not as a rule 

 cover more than the neck 

 and chest, with a tag of 

 varying length and thick- 

 ness extending from the 

 back of the neck to 

 between the shoulder- 

 blades. Lions with very 

 fall black manes, covering 

 the whole shoulders, are 

 rare anywhere, but more 

 likely to be encountered 

 on the high plateaux, 

 where the winter nights 

 are extremely cold, than 

 anywhere else. In such 

 cases, in addition to the 

 tufts of hair always found 

 on the elbows and in the 

 armpits of lions with 

 fair-sized manes, there 

 will probably be large 

 tufts of hair in each 



flank just where the thighs join the belly ; but I have never yet seen the skin of a lion 



shot within the last thirty years with the whole belly covered with long, thick hair, as may 



constantly be observed in lions kejit in captivity in the menageries of Europe. There is, 



however, some evidence to show that, when lions existed on the high plains of the Cape 



Colony and the Onange River Colony, where the winter nights are much colder than in the 



countries farther north where lions may still be encountered, certain individuals of the species 



developed a growth of long hair all over the belly, as well as an extraordinary luxuriance of 



mane on the neck and shoulders. 



From the foregoing remarks it will 



be seen that wild lions, having as a rule 



much less luxuriant manes than many 



examj^les of their kind to be seen in 



European menageries, are ordinarily not so 



majestic and dignified in appearance as 



many of their caged relatives. On the 



other hand, the wild lion is a much more 



alert and active animal than a menagerie 



specimen, and when in good condition is 



far better built and more powerful-looking, 



being free from all appearance of lankiness 



and weakness in the legs, and having strong, 



well-formed hindquarters. The eyes of the 



menagerie lion, too, look brown and usually Bi, pemiUsion of He,-r Cayl Hagenbeck] lUambur,j. 



sleepy, whilst those of the wild animal are ^ cross between lion and tigress. 



yellow, and extraordinarily luminous even This unique photograph shows a ren,arkable hybrid tmd its |,roud parent,, 



after death. When wounded and standing ''^'^ '""i^"^ (°° *>"* "Sttl la a llcn, and the mother (on the left) a tigres,s, 



, . , 1 1 1 1 1 1 '^^^ offspring (in the centre) is a fine, large male, now four years old ; il i* 



at bay, with head held low between his bigger than an avenage-sized non or tiger. 



