LION. 339 
retirement in his den^ which he seldom leaves, 
except for the purpose of prowling about for his 
prey: his teeth are so strong that he breaks the 
bones with perfect ease, and often swallows theni 
together with the flesh : his tongue, as in other 
animals of this genus^ is furnished with reversed 
prickles; but they are so large and strong in the 
Lion, as to be capable of lacerating the skin. The 
Lioness is said to bring forth in the spring, in the 
most sequestered places^ and to produce but one 
brood in the year: the young are four or five in 
number^ which the parent nurses with great assi- 
duity, and attends in their first excursions for 
prey. When brought into Europe, Lions have 
been known to breed even in a state of confine- 
ment; instances of which are recorded by some of 
the older naturalists. In the tower of London also 
examples of a similar nature have occurred. The 
young animals are scarce so large as small pug- 
dogs, and are said to continue at the teat about 
the space of a year, and to be five years in coming 
to maturity. If we may judge from some speci- 
mens of young Lions in the Leverian Museum, 
which are said to have been whelped in the tower^ 
their size seems scarce to exceed that of a half- 
grown kitten : indeed, some of the ancient writers 
have affirmed, that the young Lions are hardly 
larger than Weasels. 
The Lion (says Bulfon), when taken young, 
and brought up among domestic animals, is easily 
accustomed to live, and even to sport innocently 
