82 THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



nor, on the other hand, must the powers of any animal that is strong 

 enough with one wrench to break the spine of the largest draught 

 ox be depreciated. Lions have different methods of seizing and 

 killing their prey, but that usually adopted in the case of the 

 ox or Eland, when springing on to the back of one of these animals 

 is to insert the claws deep into the flesh of the victim, those of the 

 left hind foot low down on the near flank, almost at the stomach, of 

 the right hind paw high on the rump, the right fore paw in the 

 centre of the off shoulder, and with the purchase so obtained, to 

 bite into the nape of the neck, simultaneously wrenching the head 

 round by grasping the nose with the claws of the left fore paw. 

 As one of the numerous evidences in support of this assertion as to 

 how they kill their quarry, it may be mentioned that three years 

 ago four oxen out of a span were killed by Lions on the Botletle 

 River in one night, every one of which on careful examination had 

 their necks broken exactly in the manner described. Mr. Erickssen, 

 the well-known naturalist and hunter, was a witness on one occasion 

 when the ox turned the tables on the Lion. The incident took 

 place in the 'Ngami country, where a full grown Lioness sprang on 

 to the back of one of a considerable herd of cattle, and the 

 remainder, instead of dashing off" mad with terror, rushed on to the 

 aggressor and gored her to death. On proceeding to devour an 

 ox, the Lion usually commences his operations by making an open- 

 ing in the region of the scrotal organs, from which the liver and 

 some of the other entrails are extracted and devoured before any 

 other portion of the body is touched. 



Although Dr. Livingstone has denied that there is anything very 

 much out of the ordinary in the voice of the Lion, comparing it to 

 that of a cock Ostrich (which no doubt it resembles on a small scale), 

 most persons, however, who have had opportunities of judging, will 

 scarcely agree with his statement, and will unite in saying that there is 

 no sound in the world so truly awe-inspiring and terrific as the roars 

 of a troop of these animals as they prowl around a hunter's camp in 

 the dead of night. 



When accompanied by three or four fairly courageous dogs, how- 

 ever, an encounter is seldom attended with any great prospect of 

 danger, especially when one can be brought to bay away from the 

 vicinity of thick bush ; but to persons not possessed of a strong 

 nerve and excellent shooting powers, this sort of sport is not recom- 

 mended. For hunting purposes of this description, a cross between 



