168 
CAPT.  W.  SMEE  ON  THE  MANELESS  LION  OF  GUZERAT. 
much  longer  as  they  are  in  the  Feles  generally,  and  have  none  of  that  floccose  character 
which  is  given  to  the  middle  line  of  the  belly  in  the  African  Ldon  by  the  extreme  length 
of  the  hairs  on  this  part, — a  length  almost  equal  to  that  of  the  hairs  composing  the 
lower  portion  of  the  mane.  In  both  animals  the  hairs  at  the  extremity  of  the  tail  are 
lengthened,  forming  a  tuft  or  brush,  which  is  the  more  remarkable  owing  to  its  colour 
being  different  from  that  of  the  adjoining  parts :  but  in  the  Guzerat  Ldon  this  tuft  is 
considerably  larger  and  more  dense  than  in  the  African.  In  the  latter  the  brush  does 
not  greatly  exceed  in  diameter  the  tail  itself :  in  the  former  its  diameter  is  more  than 
twice  as  great,  and  its  length  is  increased  in  proportion  to  its  thickness.  In  this  tuft 
there  existed,  subsequently  to  its  arrival  in  England,  in  the  oldest  of  my  Lions,  a 
short  horny  claw  or  nail,  similar  in  form  to,  but  somewhat  larger  in  size  than,  the  one 
described  by  Mr.  Woods  in  the  '  Proceedings  of  the  Committee  of  Science  and  Corre- 
spondence' of  this  Society!  as  having  been  obtained  from  the  tail  of  a  young  Lion  from 
Barbary  still  living  in  its  Menagerie.  My  specimen  has  since  been  deprived  of  this 
appendage,  probably  in  consequence  of  its  having  been  handled  somewhat  roughly. 
Both  the  African  and  the  Guzerat  Lion  are  subject  to  considerable  variation  in  in- 
tensity of  colouring.  In  both  the  colour  is  falvous  ;  but  in  some  individuals  this  is 
much  paler  than  in  others,  and  in  the  darker  specimens  there  occurs  a  tinge  of  red. 
The  middle  line  of  the  back  is  the  most  deeply  coloured  part,  and  the  under  surface  is 
much  paler  and  almost  white.  Among  the  hairs  there  is  an  intermixture  of  some 
which  are  entirely  black,  and  the  greater  or  less  proportion  which  these  bear  to  the 
paler  ones  is  the  principal  cause  of  the  variations  in  depth  of  colour  that  occur  in 
ditferent  individuals.  Of  the  Guzerat  Lions  the  oldest  individual  is  the  lightest  in 
colour.  The  tail  becomes  gradually  paler  towards  its  extremity,  passing  into  greyish 
white  ;  its  terminal  brush  consisting  of  black  hairs  sUghtly  tinged  with  brown.  Above 
each  eye  there  is  a  pale  space,  in  which  is  included  a  darker  coloured  spot  for  the  im- 
plantation of  the  supraciliary  vibrissce,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  in  number,  and  of  which 
the  longest  reaches  nearly  to  the  ears.  In  the  African  Lion  these  vibrissa  are  implanted 
in  a  darker  spot,  but  this  spot  is  less  defined  and  is  only  partially  bounded  by  a  paler 
space.  In  both  the  points  of  insertion  of  the  moustaches  are  darker  than  the  sur- 
rounding parts. 
Of  the  form  of  the  maneless  Lion  of  Guzerat,  as  compared  with  that  of  the  Lion  of 
Barbary,  I  cannot  venture  to  speak  with  confidence,  from  not  having  possessed  an 
opportunity  of  observing  them  together  in  the  hving  state.  The  recollection  which  I 
retained  of  the  African  Lion  was  too  indistinct  to  aid  me  in  this  comparison  while  the 
Lion  of  Guzerat  was  before  my  eyes  :  my  recollection  of  the  Lion  of  Guzerat,  as  to  its 
form  and  proportions  when  entire,  may  perhaps  have  in  some  measure  faded  before  I 
1  Part  II.  p..  146. 
