L I O 
geflation, naturalifts are divided; fome alTerting 
that the Lionefs goes with young fix months; and 
others, only two. The time alfo of the growth 
and ao;e of thefe animals has hitherto been involved 
in obfcurlty; fome afferting that they acquire their 
full growth in three years; and others, that they 
require a much longer period in coming to per- 
feftion: fome faying that they live twenty or 
twenty-two years at the moft; and others making 
their age double that period. Ariftode, whofe 
decifions, though fometimes erroneous, have ac- 
quired fome degree of veneration and confidence 
from their antiquity, fays, that the Lionefs pro- 
duces five or fix whelps at the firft litter, four or 
five at the fecond, three or four at the third, and 
two or three at the fourth ; and that after this 
laft, which is always the lead numerous, fhe con- 
tinues barren ever after. This afiertion merits but 
little credit ; for, with refpedt to all animals, the 
firft and laft litters are lefs numerous than the pre- 
ceding ones. This philofopher erred, as well as 
all his followers, when he maintained that the 
Lionefs had only two paps; it being now certain 
that fhe has four. He likewife afl^erts, that the 
Lion, the bear, and the fox, are produced in an 
unformed ftate; but it is now unqueftionable, that 
thefe creatures are as well formed at their birth as 
any other animals; and that all their members are 
diftinftly unfolded. And, laftly, he affirms, that 
Lions copulate in a reverfed manner; whereas a 
bare infpeftion of the parts of the male will con- 
vince us, that thefe animals muft neceflTarily copu- 
late in the ordinary way of other quadrupeds. 
Thefe errors are not adduced in order to depreciate 
the judgment of Ariftotle, but only to prove that 
the ancients were not infallible, and to fhew that 
the moderns may err even on claflic ground. 
What that philofopher likewife remarks of the 
Lion's neck being compofed of one rigid and in- 
flexible bone, has alfo been contradifted by expe- 
rience; for, in every quadruped without exception, 
and even in man, the neck confifts of feven ver- 
tebrje. 
With refpect to the times of geftation, and the 
duration of the lives of thefe animals, we are now- 
enabled to fpeak with fome degree of certainty, 
fince feveral of them have bred in the Towner of 
London. The Lionefs, according to the moft 
exa6l calculation that could be made, goes with 
young about five months. The young, which in 
this climate are never more than two in number, 
are each about the fize of a large pug dog, play- 
ful, pretty, and innocent: they continue the teat 
for upwards of one year, and are five years in com- 
ing to perfeftion. Even in an imprifoned ftate. 
Lions laave been known to live to a very great 
age. The large male one, (Pompey) which died 
in 1760, had been confined in the Tower for 
above feventy years ; and another, which had re- 
mained in a ftate of captivity above fixty-three 
years, died but a few years fince. Thefe creatures 
therefore are certainly longer-lived than naturalifts 
in general have allowed them to be; and, in their 
native forefts, it is highly probable that their age 
greatly exceeds the period commonly allotted to 
the hunian race. 
All the pafTions, even thofe of the moft gentle 
kind, are pofiTelTed by the Lion in a very high de- 
gree. The maternal affe6lion of the Lionefs is 
aftoniftiing: though naturally v/eaker, and lefs 
courageous than the Lion, when ftie has got young, 
flie becomes dreadfully ferocious ; expofes herfelf 
Vol. IL 
to danger with more boldnefs than tlie Lion ; and 
attacks and deftroys men and animals indifcrimi- 
nately, loading herfelf with the fpoil, and carrying 
it, while yet reeking, to her cubs, whom flie early 
accuftoms to cruelty and fiaughter. She ufually 
brings forth in fituations the moft retired and in- 
acceffible ; and, when apprchenfive of having her 
retreat difcovered, often liides her tracks, either 
by running back her ground, or eff^acing her fteps 
with her tail. When her anxiety is great, ftie 
fometimes tranfports her young to a different 
place; and if the hunters attempt to force them 
from her, ftie becomes perfeftly furious, and de- 
fends them to the laft extremity. 
Lions, as previoufly obferved, chiefly inhabit 
the torrid zone : neverthelefs, they can fubfift in 
more temperate climates; and, anciently, even the 
fouthern parts of Europe were infefted by them. 
In the time of Ariftotle, there were likewife Lions 
in Thrace, Macedonia, and Theffaly : however, it 
is apparent that, in all ages, they preferred the hot- 
ter climates; that they feldom lived in temperate 
countries; and that they never vifited the more 
northern regions. 
The Arabs entertain a notion that the Lion 
fpares the tender fex : but Dr. Sliaw contradi6ts 
this idea; and alfo informs us, that the flefli of that 
animal is frequently eaten in Barbary, it's tafte re- 
fembling that of veal. 
Plutarch fays, that the Lion was confecrated to 
the Sun; becaufe, of all animals having crooked 
claws, he is the only one born with fight; and alfo 
becaufe he fleeps very little, and with his eyes 
open: but this afiertion is evidently fabulous. 
The Egyptians confecrated the Lion to Vulcan, 
on account of his fiery conftitution. The poets 
yoked Lions to the chariot of Cybele : the effigy 
of a Lion was alfo carried at the facrifices to that 
goddefs; becaufe, according to Varro, her priefts 
had difcovered the art of taming Lions to fuch a 
pitch, as to render them patient both when touched 
and carefied. 
LION CAT. An appellation fometimes given 
to an animal of the feline kind; called alfo the 
Cat of Angora. 
LION, SEA; the Phoca Lemina of Linnseus. 
An amphibious animal of the feal kind, common 
about the coafts of feveral iflands of the South 
Sea; which, when full-grown, meafures from 
twelve to twenty feet in length, and from eight to 
fifteen in circumference. It is fo extremely fat, 
that, after the fkin is ftripped off", there is at leaft 
twelve inches of blubber before the lean and the 
bones can be difclofed. The fat of fome of the 
largeft of thefe animals will affbrd upwards of a 
butt of oil. This creature is likewife fo full of 
blood, that, if wounded in a variety of places, con- 
fiderable ftreams will gufli from each wound ; and 
one of them, which was fliot by a feaman under 
Commodore Anfon, we are told, yielded more than 
two hogftieads of blood from the jugular artery 
alone. 
The {km of the Sea-Lion is covered with fhorC 
hair of a light dun colour; but the tail and the 
fins, which fupply the place of feet on fliore, are 
duflcy or black. The fins, or feet, are digitated 
at their extremities, becaufe the connecting web 
does not reach to their ends; and each of the five 
fingers is furniflied with a nail. The general 
figure of this creature bears fome diftant refem- 
blance to that of an overgrown feal; but the fize 
is very difproportionate. The male has a pro- 
G jedting 
