84 
THE LION. 
of Africa and the tropical regions of Asi^’ 
The average length of the African lion, fro^ 
the end of the muzzle to the insertion of 
tail, is about six feet, and the height abo^'^ 
three feet. Some individuals, indeed, reaC^ 
eight feet, and the Asiatic species has 
known to exceed ten feet in length. 
head is very large ; his face is covered wit'’ 
short close hair, while the upper part of 
head, the neck, and the shoulders, are coate^ 
with long, shaggy hair, hanging down belo"' 
the breast and over the shoulders like a man^’ 
the hair of the body being long, smooth, 
of a uniformly pale tawny colour, inclinii'^ 
to white on the lower part. The tail is tef' 
minated by a long tuft of rather black hai’’' 
wdiich is peculiar to the species. ^ 
The interior of Africa is more peculiar^ 
the dominion of the lion, where he reig'’^ 
supreme among the weaker animals. Dwell' 
ing in the thickest part of the forests, 1’^ 
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