2 l8 
THE LION AND OTHER BEASTS OF PREY 
been written about his courage and magnanimity. The former has 
been exaggerated; the latter he does not possess. He will generally 
fight savagely if brought to bay, and the lioness, when with cubs, is 
still more dangerous; but as a general rule, “the king of beasts,” if 
not molested, will bolt on sighting a man. 
The roar of the lion is extremely grand and striking, and at times 
a troop may be heard in concert, one taking the lead and three or 
four others chiming in like persons singing a catch. 
Does it not seem strange, if we come to think of it, that the 
lion which creeps up silently and by stealth to his prey, should yet 
possess a voice of such thunder that it may be heard from a very 
long distance indeed? If a lion were to roar, one would think that 
every animal in the neighborhood would take the alarm, and would 
at once fly from so dangerous an enemy. And surely such a voice 
would not have been given were it not intended to be used. 
The fact is that the lion, although his mighty voice certainly 
frightens his prey, nevertheless finds it of the greatest service to him 
at times, especially when he has been searching for food without 
success. At such times he places his nose upon the earth, and then 
roars several times as loudly as possible. The terrible sounds roll 
along the ground, seemingly from all directions at once, and so 
frighten all the animals which are crouching near, that in their alarm 
they rush hurriedly from their hiding-places, only to be pounced 
upon by the watchful lion. When hunters are making their arrange¬ 
ments for passing the night, they are always obliged to tether the 
horses and oxen very carefully, for fear that a lion should cause them 
to rush terror-stricken from the camp by adopting this peculiar 
method of attack. 
The Story of King Humbert's Lion. —The gardens attached 
to the Quirinal Palace, the present residence of the king and queen 
of Italy, are of a magical beauty. They are enclosed in high, close- 
cut hedges, and at every two or three steps you come upon some 
delightful surprise. Now a fountain, now a fernery, now an aviary, 
now a smooth lawn clothed with brilliant flower beds, now a grove 
of ancient oak trees with antique statues peeping from their myste¬ 
rious depths, now an exotic shrubbery, and. at last, most wonderful 
