22 
THE LION. 
buffalo, one of the fiercest and most formidable of 
African beasts—but often has to pay dear for his 
temerity; for should there be several buffaloes in 
company, or others near at hand, the probability is 
he will be gored to death. 
Delegorgue even goes so far as to say that the 
lion not unfrequently destroys the huge white 
rhinoceros, an animal which all but rivals the 
elephant in regard to strength and bulk. His 
words are 
“ Maintes fois trouvai-je des rhinoceros de la 
plus haute taille, que ni leur poids, ni leur force, 
ni leur fureur, n’avaient pu preserver de la mort. 
La place de combat 4tait visible; partout elle etait 
fouiee, et l’empreinte du lion s’y lisait sur chaque 
point.” 
This, however, is quite contrary to my own ex¬ 
perience, and that of some of the most celebrated 
African hunters. As a rule, indeed, lions are said 
to make themselves scarce where the rhinoceros 
abounds. Occasionally, it is true, the lion will 
surprise and destroy the young of this animal as 
well as that of the elephant; but even the hyena is 
known to accomplish this feat. 
Unless the rhinoceros be previously wounded, I 
myself am doubtful if the lion ever ventures to 
attack the adult animal; and even if it be maimed ? 
he would not always seem to prove the victor. I 
judge so because when on one occasion I was fol¬ 
lowing the spoor of a black rhinoceros (which is 
greatly inferior in size and strength to the white) 
that I had wounded on the preceding day, I came 
