SI? 
introduction's 
The • combats between a lion and a horse are fre- 
quent enough in Itaij; where 'they are both in- 
closed in a kind of amphitheatre, fitted for that 
purpose. The lion always approaches wheeling 
a book while, the horse presents its hinder parts to 
the enemy. The lion in this manner goes round 
and round/ still narrowing his circle, till he comes 
to the proper distance to make his spring ; just at 
the time the lion springs, the horse lashes with 
both legs from behind, and, in general, the odds 
are in his favour ; it more often happening that 
the lion is stunned, and struck motionless by the 
blow, than that he effects his jump between the 
horse's shoulders. If the lion is stunned, and left 
sprawling, the horse escapes, without attempting 
to improve his victory ; but if the lion succeeds, 
he sticks to his prey, and tears the horse in pieces 
in a very short time. 
But it is not among the larger animals of' the 
forest alone, that these hostilities are carried on ; 
there is a minuter, and a still more treacherous 
contest between the lower ranks of quadrupeds. 
The panther hunts for the shpep and the goat ; the 
ocelot, for the bare or the rabbit ; and the wild cat 
for the squirrel or the mouse.- In proportion as 
each carnivorous animal wants strength, it uses 
all the assistance of patience, assiduity, and cun- 
ning. However, the arts of these to pursue, are 
not so great as the tricks of their prey to escape ; 
so that the power of destruction in one class, is 
inferior to the power of safety in the other. Were 
