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the tail. When the mother was again with young, the three animals of the former litter became very mischievous. One of these, when about three months old, was driven, against his inclination, into the garden of the museum, when he made a spring at the keeper, Felix Cassel, and seized his arm with so much violence as to tear the sleeve of his coat. We are not able any further to describe the development of character in the above-mentioned three animals, since two of them have fallen victims to the first effects of dentition, an operation very dangerous to most animals that are produced in captivity. The lion that bit the keeper was one of those that died.

All the passions of the lion, the soft passion of love not excepted, are excessive; the love of offspring is extreme: the lioness is naturally weaker, less bold, and more gentle than the lion; but she becomes perfectly ferocious and terrible when she has young. She then regards no danger; she attacks indifferently men and animals, kills them and carries them to her young ones, whom she thus early instructs to suck their blood and tear their flesh. She generally brings forth in the most secret and inaccessible places; and, when afraid of a discovery, she endeavours to conceal the traces of her feet, by returning frequently on her steps, or rather by effacing them with her tail; and, when the danger is great, she carries off her young, and conceals them elsewhere. But, when an actual attempt is made to deprive her of her young, she becomes perfectly furious, and defends them till she be torn in pieces. The lion seldom goes abroad in the day; but sallies forth in the evening and night in quest of prey. He is afraid of fire, and seldom or never approaches the artificial fires made by the shepherds for the protection of their flocks; he does not trace animals by the scent, but is obliged to trust to his eye. Many historians have even represented him as incapable of finding out his prey; alleging that he is obliged to the jackal, an animal of exquisite scent, to provide for him, and that this animal either accompanies or goes before him for this purpose. The jackal, perhaps, sometimes follows the lion, but it is to pick up what he leaves behind, not to provide for him. The lion, when hungry, will attack any animal that presents itself; but he is so formidable, that all endeavour to avoid his rencounter; this circumstance often obliges him to conceal himself, and lie in wait till some animal chances to pass. He lies squat on his belly in a thicket; from which he springs with such force and velocity, that he mostly seizes them at the first bound. He endures hunger longer than thirst; he seldom passes water without drinking, which he does by lapping like a dog. In burning deserts, where rivers and fountains are denied, they live in a perpetual fever, a sort of madness fatal to every animal they meet with. The roaring of the lion,' says Dr. Sparrman, consists in a hoarse inarticulate sound, which at the same time seems to have hollowness in it, something like that proceeding from a speaking trumpet. The sound is between that of a German u and an o, being drawn to a great length, and appearing as if it

came from out of the earth; at the same time, after listening with the greatest attention, I could not exactly hear from what quarter it came. The sound of the lion's voice does not bear the least resemblance to thunder, as M. de Buffon, tom ix. p. 22, from the voyage of Bouillage le Gouz, affirms it does. In fact, it appeared to me to be neither peculiarly piercing nor tremendous; yet, from its slow prolonged note, joined with nocturnal darkness, and the terrible idea one is apt to form to one's self of this animal, it made me shudder, even in such places as I had an opportunity of hearing it in with more satisfaction, and without having the least occasion for fear.' But when he is irritated his cry is shorter, repeated more suddenly, and is still more terrible than the roaring; he beats his sides with his tail, stamps with his feet, erects and agitates the hair of his head and mane, moves the skin of his face, shows his angry teeth, and lolls out his tongue. The gait of the lion is stately, grave, and slow, though always in an oblique direction. His movements are not equal or measured, but consist of leaps and bounds; which prevent him from stopping suddenly, and make him often over-leap his mark. When he leaps upon his prey, he makes a bound of twelve or fifteen feet, falls above it, seizes it with his fore feet, tears the flesh with his claws, and then devours it with his teeth. If he chances to miss his leap, he will not follow his prey any farther; but, as if he were ashamed, turning round towards the place where he lay in ambush, slowly, and step by step, as it were, measures the exact length between the two points, in order to find how much too short of, or beyond, the mark, he had taken his leap. One would suppose that the roaring of the lion would prove serviceable to the other animals, by warning them to betake themselves to flight; but as, when he roars, he puts his mouth to the ground, so that the sound is diffused equally all over the place, without its being possible to hear from what quarter it comes, the animals are intimidated to such a degree, as to fly about backwards and forwards in the dark to every side; in consequence of which, they often run on to the very spot from whence the sound proceeds, and which they meant most to avoid. Dr. Sparrman, in his account of the lion, detracts considerably from the character of courage and generosity generally ascribed to that animal; and relates several anecdotes in proof of his opinion. A yeoman,' says Dr. Sparrman, a man of veracity, related to me an adventure he had in these words: one day walking over his lands with his loaded gun, he unexpectedly met with a lion. Being an excellent shot, he thought himself pretty certain, in the position he was in, of killing it; he therefore fired his piece. Unfortunately he did not recollect that the charge had been in it for some time, and consequently was damp, so that his piece hung fire, and the ball, falling short, entered the ground close to the lion. In consequence of this he was seized with a panic, and took directly to his feet; but being soon out of breath, and closely pursued by the lion, he jumped upon a little heap of stones, and there made a stand, presenting the butt-end of his gun to his adver

superiority in the numbers and industry of mankind, at the same time that it has broken the vigor of the lion, seems likewise to have enervated his courage. In the vast deserts of Zaara; in those which separate the negroes and Moors, between Senegal and the boundaries of Mauritania; in those uninhabited regions above the country of the Hottentots; and, in general, in all the meridional parts of Africa and Asia, where mankind have disdained to dwell, lions are still as numerous and as ferocious as ever. Accustomed to measure their strength by that of in all other animals which they encounter the habit of conquering renders them haughty and intrepid. Having never experienced the strength of man, or the power of his arms, instead of discovering any signs of fear, they disdain and set him at defiance. Wounds irritate, but do not terrify them: they are not even disconcerted at the sight of numbers. A single lion of the desert has been known to attack a whole caravan; and if, after a violent and obstinate engagement, he finds himself weakened, he retreats fighting, always keeping his face to the enemy. On the other hand, the lions which live near the villages or huts of the Indians or Africans, being acquainted with man and the force of his arms, are so dastardly as to fly and leave their prey at the sight of women or children. A lion taken young, and brought up among domestic animals, will easily be accustomed to his master or keeper, and refrain from injuring them. When led into captivity, he will discover symptoms of uneasiness, without anger or peevishness; on the contrary, his natural temper softens, he obeys his master, caresses the hand that gives him food, and sometimes gives life to such animals as are thrown to him alive for prey; by this act of generosity he seems to consider himself as for ever bound to protect them: he lives peaceably with them; allows them a part, and sometimes the whole, of his food; and will rather submit to the pangs of hunger, than destroy the fruit of his beneficence. Ælian, quoting Eudemus, speaks of the affection entertained by a lion for a dog. He informs us, that a lion, a dog, and a bear, lived together in the most intimate friendship. The attachment between the two first was most tender. The dog, in one of his frolics, having by accident bitten the bear, the natural ferocity of that animal returned, and he tore the offender to pieces, but the irritated lion revenged the death of his companion, by immediately destroying the bear. But as his passions are impetuous and vehement, it is not to be expected, that the impressions of education will at all times be sufficient to balance them; for this reason it is dangerous to let him suffer hunger long, or to vex him by ill-timed teazings; bad treatment not only irritates him, but he remembers it long, and meditates revenge. Labat informs us of a gentleman, who kept a lion in his chamber, and employed a servant to attend it, and who as usual mixed his caresses with blows. One morning the gentleman was awakened by an unusual noise in his room, and drawing his curtains aside, he perceived the lion growling over the body of the unhappy man, whom it had just kille‍d, and had separated

his head from his body. The terror and consternation of the gentleman may be easily conceived; he flew out of the room, obtained assistance, and secured the animal. For his ordinary subsistence, the lion requires about fifteen pounds of raw flesh each day.

The body of the lion appears to be the best model of strength joined with agility. The force of his muscles is expressed by his prodigious leaps and bounds, often twenty feet at once; by the brisk motion of his tail, a single sweep of which is sufficient to throw a man to the ground; by the ease with which he moves the skin of his face, and particularly of his forehead; and by the faculty of erecting and agitating the hair of his mane when irritated. Lions are very ardent in their amours; when the female is in season, she is often followed by eight or ten males, who roar incessantly, and enter into furious engagements, till one of them completely overcomes the rest, takes peaceable possession of the female, and carries her off to some secret recess. The length of time the lioness goes with young is variously stated by different writers; Ælian says two months, Philostratus six; among the moderns the period of gestation is said to be five months; but it has been clearly ascertained by La Cepéde, that the lioness goes with young 108 days, or rather more than three months and a half. A lion and lioness of about the same age having arrived from Northern Africa, at the menagerie of Paris, they were permitted to couple, which they did, five times in the same day. The first time the lioness was with young, she miscarried at the end of about two months, bringing forth two fetuses. The second time she produced, at the end of about 108 days, three young ones. One of these, about five hours after it came into the world, had the following measurements:

Eighteen inches and a half from the fore part of the forehead to the origin of the tail; four inches and a quarter from the muzzle to the occiput; three inches and a quarter from one ear to the other; four inches and three quarters from the elbow to the end of the toes of the fore feet; three inches and three quarters from the knee to the heel; three inches and a half from the heel to the extremity of the toes of the hind feet; six inches and a quarter from the origin of the tail to its extremity.

These little animals were, at first, entirely destitute of hair; and we are informed that the long hair or mane on the neck and round the face of one of the males, which survived the rest, did not begin to appear till he had attained the age of nearly three years and a half; and that, from that time, this has been continually increasing in quantity. He had no tuft at the end of his tail till about the same period. The hair of all the young animals of this litter was at first woolly, and not of the same color as that of their parents, but a mixed gray and red, marked by a great number of narrow brown stripes. These were very distinct at the middle of the back, and towards the origin of the tail; and they were disposed transversely on each side of a longitudinal stripe, of the same color, that extended from the back of the head to the end of

reckoned very valuable. In Asia these animals are found on the mountains of Caucasus, from Persia to India; and also in China, where they are called Poupi. By the Bukharian traders, who often bring their skins to Russia, they are styled Bars. The leopard inhabits also Arabia, where it is called Nemr. Mr. Forskal says, that in that country, as well as in Egypt, it will do no harm to man unless provoked; but will enter houses by night and destroy the cats.

F. lynx Canadensis, the Canadian lynx, has pale yellow eyes, and erect ears tufted with long black hair. The body is covered with soft and long fur, cinereous tinged with tawny, or gray mixed with white, and marked with black or dusky spots more or less visible in different subjects, dependent on the age or season in which the animal is killed; the legs are strong and thick; the claws large. It is about three times the size of a cat; though only about a foot high, and the tail is four inches long, tipt with black. This species inhabits the vast forest of North America. It is called in Canada le chat cervier, or le loup cervier, on account of its being so destructive to deer: which it drops on from the trees, like the puma, and, fixing on the jugular vein, never quits its hold till the exhausted animal falls through loss of blood. The English call it a wild cat. It is very destructive to the young pigs, poultry, and all kinds of game. The skins are in high esteem for the softness and warmness of the fur; and great numbers are annually imported into Europe.

F. caracal, the siyah-ghush, or Persian lynx, has a lengthened face and small head; very long slender ears, terminated with a long tuft of black hairs; eyes small: the upper part of the body is of a very pale reddish brown; and the belly and breast are whitish: the limbs are strong and pretty long; and the tail is about half the length of the body. These animals inhabit Arabia, Persia, India, and Barbary; where they are often brought up tame, and used in the chase of smaller quadrupeds, and the larger sort of birds, such as cranes, pelicans, peacocks, &c., which they surprise with great address. When they seize their prey, they hold it fast with their mouth, and lie for a time motionless on it. They are fierce when provoked; Dr. Charleton says, he saw one fall on a hound, which it killed and tore to pieces in a moment, notwithstanding the dog defended itself to the utmost.-The Arabian writers call it anak el ard; and say, that it hunts like the panther, jumps up at cranes as they fly, and covers its steps when hunting.

F. lynx chaus, the Caspian lynx, has a round head, a little more oblong than that of the common cat; shining restless eyes, with a most brilliant golden pupil; ears erect, oval, and lined with white hairs; their outside reddish, their summits tufted with black. The hairs are coarser than those of the cat or common lynx, but less so than those of the wolf. They are shortest on the head, but on the top of the back above two inches long. The color of the head and body is a yellowish-brown; the breast and belly of a bright brown, nearly orange. The tail reaches only to the flexure of the leg; is thick and cylindric; of the same color with the back, tipped

with black, and thrice obscurely annulated with black near the end. In general appearance it has the form of the domestic cat. Its length is two feet and a half from the nose to the base of the tail its tail little more than eleven inches: its height before is nineteen inches; behind twenty. It is sometimes found larger, there being instances of its reaching the length of three feet from the nose to the tail. This animal inhabits the reeds and woods in the marshy parts that border on the western sides of the Caspian Sea, particularly about the castle of Kislar on the river Terek, and in the Persian provinces of Ghisan and Masenderan, and frequent about the mouth of the Kur, the ancient Cyrus.-In manners, voice, and food, it agrees with the wild cat. It conceals itself in the day, and wanders over the flooded tracts in search of prey; feeding on rats, mice, and birds, but seldom climbing trees. It is excessively fierce, and never frequents the haunts of mankind. It is so impatient of captivity, that one which was taken in a trap, and had a leg broken, refused for many days the food placed by it; but in its fury devoured the fractured limb, with pieces of the stake it was fastened to, and broke all its teeth in the phrensy of its rage.

F. lynx vulgaris, the common lynx, is about two feet and a half long and fifteen inches high. He has a great resemblance to the common cat; but his ears are longer and tufted, and his tail is much shorter: his head and body are of a grayish color tinged with red; his hair is streaked with yellow, white, and black colors. The lynx inhabits the vast forests of the north of Europe, Asia, America, and Japan. His eyes are brilliant, his aspect is soft, and his air is gay and sprightly. Like the cat, he covers his urine with earth; he howls something like the wolf, and is heard at a considerable distance; he does not run like the dog or wolf, but walks and leaps like a cat; he pursues his prey even to the tops of trees; neither wild cats nor squirrels can escape him; he lies in wait for stags, goats, hares, weasels, birds, &c., and darts suddenly upon them; he seizes them by the throat and sucks their blood; then opens the head and eats the brain; after this, he frequently leaves them and goes in search of fresh prey. The color of his skin changes according to the season or the climate; the winter furs are more beautiful than those of summer. These furs are valuable for their softness and warmth: numbers are annually imported from North America, and the north of Europe and Asia; the farther north and east they are taken, the whiter they are, and the more distinct the spots. Of these the most elegant kind is called irbys, whose skin sells on the spot for £1. sterling. The ancients, particularly Pliny, (viii. 8.) celebrated the great quickness of the lynx's sight; and feigned that its urine was converted into a precious stone.

F. onca, the American tiger, the jaguar of Buffon, is of a bright tawny color; the top of the back marked with long stripes of black; the sides with rows of eyes like annular spots, open in the middle, which is of the ground color of the hair: the thighs and legs are marked with full spots of black, the breast and belly whitish: the tail

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