LIONS. 
286 
in their couples. These instantly faced the lion, who, finding 
that by his bold bearing he had succeeded in putting his enemies 
to flight, now became solicitous for the safety of his little family, 
with which the lioness was retreating in the background. 
Facing about, he followed after them with a haughty and inde- 
pendent step, growling fiercely at the dogs, which trotted along 
on either side of him. Having elephants in view, the sportsman, 
with ‘ heartfelt reluctance,’ reserved his fire; and we think that 
most of our readers will rejoice with us that this gallant and 
devoted lion was permitted to escape scot free. It would be a 
subject not unworthy of Landseer, this ‘retreat of the Leonid*. ’ 
The mother leading away the young, the noble father covering 
the rear, and the bold two hundred and fifty warriors in hot 
flight, dotting the ground in the distance. Another instance of 
the magnanimous conduct of the lion is related in the case of a 
Boer, who might well have exclaimed, * Heaven defend me 
from my friends!’ A party of Boers were out lion-hunting, 
when one of them, who had dismounted from his horse to get a 
steady shot at the lion, was dashed to the ground by him before 
he could regain his saddle; the lion, however, did not attempt 
to injure him further, but stood quietly over him lashing his 
tail and growling at the rest of the party, who had galloped to 
a distance in violent consternation. These fine fellows, instead 
of coming to the rescue of their comrade, opened their fire at an 
immense distance, the consequence of which was, that they 
missed the lion, and shot the man dead on the spot! The lion 
presently retreated, and none daring to follow him, he made 
good his escape.” 
“ Though the lion is considerably under four feet in height, he 
has no difficulty in overcoming the most lofty and powerful 
giraffe, whose head towers above the trees, and whose skin is 
nearly an inch in thickness. He also, when his teeth are un- 
broken, generally proves a match for an old bull buffalo, which 
in size, strength, and fierceness far surpasses the largest Euro- 
pean cattle. A lion having carried off a heifer of two years 
old, was tracked for full five hours by a party on horseback, 
and throughout the whole distance the carcass of the heifer was 
only discovered to have touched the ground twice. 
“ The lion of South Africa is, in all respects, more formidable 
than the lion of India; in colour it is darker, and of greater 
strength ; the mane, the characteristic of the male, appears about 
the third year; at first it is of a yellowish colour, in the prime 
of life nearly black, then, as he becomes aged and decrepid, it 
assumes a yellowish grey, or pepper-and-salt colour. The 
manes and coats of lions frequenting plains are richer and more 
bushy than those of their brethren of the forest. If the lion is 
