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attack; yet, wli en _ actually confronted Avith an enemy, lie often displays tlie most undaunted 
courage. Many tales have been told of liis good temper and magnanimity. Tlie whole truth on 
this point seems to be, that when he is not pressed by hunger he is languid or indifferent. If 
acquaintance be made with him in this state, he often appears magnanimous. A small dog 
being put into the menagerie of the Gardfen 
of Plants, with a lioness, was kindly received 
and finally became a pet and favorite of the 
monster, playing with her huge jaws as if 
they had been those of his mother. The 
story of Androcles, the Eoman — who met a 
lion in a cave in Africa, and having pulled 
a thorn out of its foot, from which it was 
suffering, thereby obtained the creature's 
good-will — is probably founded in truth, al- 
though doubtless embellished. Savage as 
this animal appears, if taken young, he may 
bo rendered comparatively gentle and tame. 
Tame lions, led about in golden chains, 
have long been part of the pageant of a Per- 
sian court : almost every menagerie now-a- 
days has its tame lions. Van Amburgh has 
■obtained a complete mastery, not only over 
lions, bxit tigers and other felidas of the 
most ferocious character. The lion was cre- 
ated to kill and eat other animals : in ful- 
filling this law of his nature, he is not more 
destructive than man himself. Mankind have butchers who kill for the people : the lion only 
kills for himself and family. His hunger being appeased, he ceases his slaughter until hunger 
again calls him lo action. In general, he does not attack man, in his native wilds; he rather 
preys on the larger quadrupeds that come within his reach : yet he will attack man when 
threatened or irritated by him, or when-prompted by hunger, especially if he can steal upon him 
in the early part of the night, when the instinct of destruction is strong upon him. "When he 
has once fed on livmian flesh, he is said to prefer it ; and hence the lions that have been born and 
bred in the vicinity of towns and villages, have more ferocious habits toward mankind than others. 
The lioness is without a mane; she is smaller, less powerful, and far less majestic in appear- 
ance than the lion. The sly, skulking, cowardly qualities are also stronger in her. She is 
jealous and ferocious when her young ones are threatened, and she fearlessly faces any danger in 
their defense. 
The pairing of these animals is thus described by Gerard, a Frenchman who spent some years 
in lion hunts, in Algeria, and who, on account of his exploits, obtained the title of " the Lion 
Killer :" 
" It is ordinarily at the end of Januarj- that the monarch of Africa seeks his royal consort. As 
the males are, by one third, more numerous than the females, it is not an uncommon occurrence 
to find one of these dusky belles accompanied by two or three aspirants, who indulge in most 
desperate battles for her favor. She at last, becoming impatient to find that these gallants do not 
strangle each other to share her undivided love, leads them toward the haunt of some brave old 
lion, whose valor is known afar by the thunder of his voice. The disputing lovers arrive with 
their mistress in the presence of the new rival, and march bravely forward. The negotiations 
are not long, and the result of the encounter is always certain. Attacked by the three lovers at 
once, the old lion receives them without moving from his place ; he strangles the first with a 
grasp of his jaws, the second is thrown aside with a broken leg, and the third feels himself very 
liappy if he can get away from the battle with one eye, which he very hastily does, leaving the 
other in the claws of his master. 
