Is an inhabitant of the deserts of Africa and
Asia. In ancient times it was very numerously
found in Syria and Asia Minor.
Its principal

locality in the present day seems to be the arid deserts of Africa, and the warmer and more thinly peopled parts of India. From the great strength with which it has been endowed, the lion has been denominated the king of beasts. When full grown it measures about eight feet from the point of the muzzle to the insertion of the tail. Its general colour is tawny yellow, but there seems to be considerable variations in this respect; those of Southern Africa being sometimes found of a very dark colour, especially the

mane; while those of India are in general of a pale yellow.

From the nature of his bodily structure, the lion is an animal of the most formidable description. His head is particularly large, his jaws of immense strength; his shoulders and chest have a depth and capacity far exceeding all animals of his size. His pliable and sinewy frame, and the resistless fury of his attacks, enable him to make the buffalo, the wild horse, and the ox, an easy prey. Sparman relates an anecdote of a lion at the Cape of Good Hope seizing a heifer in his mouth, and though the legs dragged upon the ground, yet he seemed to carry her off with the same ease that a cat does a rat. And Thompson, a recent traveller in Southern Africa, mentions an instance of a lion carrying off a two years old heifer; and though followed on the spoor or track for fully five hours, by a party on horseback, throughout the whole distance the carcass of the heifer was only once or twice discovered to have touched the ground.

Formidable as the lion is however to the inhabitants of the desert, it seldom attacks man, unless

when very sorely pressed by hunger, or in selfdefence. Its favourite food seems to be the various species of the deer and the antelope, which abound in the plains of Africa and jungles of India. It is also fond of attacking the horse; and will sometimes follow travellers almost incredible distances, in order to take advantage of a favourable opportunity to seize its prey. "Lucas Van Vunsen, a Vee boor, was riding across the open plains near the little Fish River one morning about day-break, and observing a lion at a distance, he endeavoured to avoid him by making a wide circuit. There were thousands of spring-boks scattered over the extensive flats; but the lion, from the open nature of the country, had been unsuccessful in hunting. Lucas soon perceived that it was not disposed to let him pass without further parlance, and that it was rapidly approaching to the encounter; and being without his rifle, and otherwise little inclined to a closer acquaintance, he turned off at right angles, laid the sjambok freely to his horse's flanks, and galloped for life. But it was too late: the horse was fagged, and bore a heavy man on its back. The lion was fresh