THE STORY OF THE LION. 
71 
concert; and the din reaches its height when two' or three troops of lions 
approach a watering-place at the same time. On such occasions every member 
of each troop sounds a bold roar of defiance at the opposite parties; and when 
one roars all roar together, and each seems to vie with his comrades in the 
intensity and power of his voice. 
As a rule, lions commence to roar with the falling shades of evening, and 
continue with longer or shorter intervals throughout the night; but in secluded 
and undisturbed districts he has frecpiently heard the roaring sustained as 
THE MANELESS LION OF SENEGAL. 
late as 9 or io o’clock in the morning on bright and sunny days. During 
cloudy and rainy weather they will however roar, although in a lower tone, 
throughout the day. 
Although in some districts lions are commonly met either alone, or in pairs 
of males and females, this does not seem to- be generally the case in the 
interior of South Africa, where it is more usual to> meet with four or five 
lions consorting together, while parties of from ten to twelve are by no> means 
rare. Such a party of twelve would, in the experience of the same observer, 
probably comprise about two adult males, three or four full-grown lionesses, 
