i82 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



nine feet, the tail about four, and its height about four 

 feet and a half. The female is about one-fourth part lefs, 

 and without the mane. 



As the Lion advances in years, its mane grows longer 

 and thicker. The hair on the reft of the body is fhort 

 and fmooth, of a tawny colour, but whitifli on the belly. 



The roaring of the Lion is loud and dreadful : When 

 heard in the night, it refembles diftant thunder. Its cry 

 of anger is much louder and fliorter. 



The Lion feldom attacks any animal openly, except 

 when compelled by extreme hunger: In that cafe, no 

 danger deters him. But as moll animals endeavour to 

 avoid him, he is obliged to have recourfe to artifice, and 

 take his prey by furprife. For this purpofe, he crouches 

 on his belly in fome thicket, where he waits till his prey 

 approaches; and then, with one prodigious fpring, he 

 leaps upon it at the diftance of fifteen or twenty feet, 

 and generally feizes it at the firft bound. > If he mifs his 

 objecl:, he gives up the purfuit; and, turning back to- 

 wards the place of his ambulh, he meafures the ground 

 ftep by ftep, and again lies in wait for another opportu- 

 nity. — The lurking-place of the Lion is generally chofen 

 near a fpring, or by the fide of a river; where he fre- 

 quently has an opportunity of catching fuch animals as 

 come to quench their third. 



There are, however, inftances where the Lion deviates 

 from his ufual method of taking his prey ; of which the 

 following, related by Sparrman, is remarkable : — A Hot- 

 tentot, perceiving that he was followed by a Lion, and 

 concluding that the animal only waited the approach of 

 night to make him his prey, began to confider of the bell 

 method of providing for his fafety, which he at length 

 effected in the following fingular manner: — Obferving a 



