LIONS HUNTING IN COMPANY. 
99 
A somewhat similar scene—though the quarry was 
a widely different one—was witnessed by Messrs. 
Oswell and Vardon, the two well-known South 
African travellers and sportsmen, from whose own 
mouths I had the story. They were one day pur¬ 
suing a wounded buffalo, on the shady banks of the 
river Limpopo, when, to their great amazement, 
three full-grown lions suddenly emerged from the 
bush, and made a simultaneous attack on the re¬ 
treating animal, who, notwithstanding his disabled 
state, was not mastered by the beasts until after a 
desperate and sanguinary battle; but though the 
lions were the victors, they paid dearly for their 
audacity, as two out of the three were killed by my 
friends whilst lying on the very body of the strug¬ 
gling and dying victim. 
Gordon Gumming also testifies to lions hunting in 
troops. After telling us that <e it is a common 
thing to come upon a full-grown lion and lioness 
associated with three or four large ones, nearly full- 
grown,” he goes on to say : “ At other times adult 
males will be found associating: and hunting: together 
in a happy state of friendship. Two, three, or four 
full-grown male lions may thus be discovered con¬ 
sorting together.” 
Delegorgue also bears witness to lions hunting in 
company, as likewise to the great cunning they 
often evince on these occasions. After telling us 
“that during the winter, in the months of June, 
July, and August, when the grass is trampled down 
or burnt by fire, a single lion cannot possibly sue- 
