80 
LIONS AND BUFFAXjOES. 
that they can dotoct a variation between the commence- 
ment of tho noise of each. There is, it must bo admittod, 
considerable difference between tho singing noiso of a lion 
when full, and his doop, gruff growl when hungry. In 
general tho lion’s voice seems to come deeper from the 
chest than that of tho ostrich; but to this day I can dis- 
tinguish between them with cortainty only by knowing 
that tho ostrich roars by day and tho lion by night. 
Tho African lion is of a tawny color, liko that of some 
mastiffs. Tho mane in tho malo is largo, and gives the 
idea of great power. In some lions tho onds of tho hair 
of tho mane are black ; these go by tho name of black- 
maned lions, though as a whole all look of tho yollow 
tawny color. At tho timo of tho discovery of tho lako, 
Mossrs. Oswoll and Wilson shot two specimens of another 
variety. One was an old lion, whoso teeth were more 
stumps, and his claws worn quite blunt; tho other was 
full grown, in tho primo of lifo, with whito, perfect teeth: 
both woro entirely destitute of mane. Tho lions in the 
country near tho lako give tongue less than those farther 
south. We scarcely ever heard them roar at all. 
The lion has other checks on inordinate increase besides 
man. Ho seldom attacks full-grown animals; but fre- 
quently, when a buffalo-calf is caught by him, the cow 
rushes to tho roscuo, and a toss from her often kills him. 
One we found was killod thus ; and on tho Locambyo an- 
other, which died near Seshoko, had all the appearance of 
having received his death-blow from a buffalo. It is ques- 
tionable if a single lion over attacks a full-grown buffalo. 
Tho amount of roaring heard at night, on occasions when 
a buffalo is killod, seems to indicate there are always more 
than one lion ongaged in tho onslaught. 
On tho plain, south of Scbituane’s ford, a herd pf buffa- 
loes kept a number of lions from their young by tho males 
turning their heads to tho enemy. Tho young and tho 
cows woro in tho rear. One toss from a bull would kill 
tho strongest lior. that ever oreathod 1 havo boon i»- 
