QUADRUPEDS. 6 
Dr. Sparrman mentions a singular instance of the Lion's 
habits in this respect. A Hottentot perceiving that he 
was followed by a Lion, and concluding that the animal 
only waited the approach of night to make him his prey, 
began to consider what was the best mode of providing 
for his safety ; and at length he adopted the following : 
Observing a piece of broken ground with a precipitate 
descent on one side, he sat down by the edge of it ; and 
found, to his great joy, that the Lion also made a halt, and 
kept at a distance behind him. As soon as it grew dark, the 
man sliding gently forward, let himself down a little below 
the edge of the steep ; and held up his cloak and hat on 
his stick, at the same time gently moving them backward 
and forward. The Lion, after a while, came creeping 
towards the object ; and, mistaking the cloak for the man 
himself, made a spring at it, and fell headlong down the 
precipice. 
Lions have been sometimes known to attain a great 
age, as Pompey, a large male Lion that died, in 1760, in 
the Tower of London, was upwards of seventy years old. 
The usual life of a Lion, however, seldom exceeds twenty 
years. The Lion is generally represented as the com- 
panion of Britannia, as a national symbol of strength, 
courage, and generosity. In ancient gems, in paintings, 
and statuary, the Lion's skin is the attribute of Hercules. 
lit scriptural compositions, he is painted at the side of the 
evangelist, St. Mark ; and holds the fifth place among the 
signs of the zodiac, answering to the months of July and 
August. 
