MAMMALS 
285 
CAENIVOEA (The Flesh-eaters). 
The Lion {Felis led). 
Owing to the ruthless slaughter of females by so-called sportsmen, the lion 
is becoming extremely scarce within 150 miles of the coast. During two 
expeditions I saw none north of the waterless Hand. They are totally 
extinct in the Gulis Eange, where but ten years ago they made the valleys 
re-echo again with their magnificent music. North of the Gulis Eange in 
Guban there is not a single lion track to be seen among the reed-beds, 
where they were once so numerous. With the exception of a few, 
perhaps, in the Gadabursi country, I think I may say that the lion is 
practically extinct north of the Haud. For obvious reasons I will not 
mention localities for lions in Somaliland to-day. 
Lions differ greatly in colour, from a dark tawny-yellow brown to a light 
yellow. As a rule, the Somali lion is very light coloured, and is often 
very beautifully spotted on the belly and legs with a darker shade of 
yellow. The mane is usually very poor, and a long dark mane very rare. 
A fine male shot by me at Habr Heshi, Marehan country, measured : 
9 feet 3 inches. 
43 ,, 
33| „ . 
12f „ 
6 „ 
402 pounds. 
11 feet. 
From tip of nose to end of tail 
Girth behind shoulders 
Length of tail ... 
Girth of fore -paw 
Breadth of ear ... 
Weight 
Length after skinning, from tip of nose to 
end of tail 
Lengths of lion-skins obtained from natives : 
Male ... ... ... ... ... 8 feet 10 inches (dressed). 
,, ... ... ... ... ... 8 ,, 9 ,, ,, 
Female 8 „ 5 ,, ,, 
,, ... ... . .... ... 8 ,, 2 ,, ,, 
Skull of old lion (teeth much worn) picked up by me : 
Length from back to front 
Width across zygomatic arch 
The Leopard {Felis par dus). 
Found nearly all over Somaliland. Common a few miles south of the 
Gulis Eange, and in all waterless desert country, where they feed upon 
dik-dik antelope. Half the reported leopards round villages turn out to 
be hyaenas. 
The leopard’s coat varies in colour and texture as much as that of the lion. 
In the hills and high ground the fur is, of course, thicker and more hand- 
some than that of those killed on the hot, low plains. I have four distinct 
shades of ground colour, varying from dark yellow to almost white. 
Measurements : 
Large male : before skinning ... ... 7 feet 1|- inches. 
after skinning ... ... ... 7 „ 6 ,, 
,, ,, before skinning ... ... 7 ,, 0 ,, 
after skinning ... ... ... 7 ,, 6 ,, 
Other skins (dressed) measured respectively, 6 feet 4^ inches, 6 feet 
4 inches, 6 feet 2 inches, and 5 feet 5 inches. 
13| inches. 
9 | „ 
