to cause him to refrain from making the last spring. This seems characteristic of the feline species.

When a lion is hungry, he will do what he would not under other circumstances. Thus, one had been near a Bushman's hut the whole night, doubtless on the look-out for prey. Two Bechuana herdsmen, attending the cattle near the place next morning, saw him, and ran towards a neighboring kraal, or village, to inform the people. On their way thither they met six natives coming to attack the formidable creature, having already heard he was there. Advancing, they fired and wounded, but did not disable, him. Enraged by the smart, he took some steps, when the natives instantly leaped from their horses, formed them into a close line, with their tails towards the lion, and took their stand at the horses' heads.

The lion now flew on a Bechuana, who was not protected by the intervention of the horses, and who tried to defend himself with his sheepskin cloak. The lion, however, caught him by the arm, threw him on the ground, and, while the poor man still tried to defend himself, by keeping his cloak wrapped round him, the lion got under it and gnawed part of his thigh. His Bechuana companion at that time threw his spear, which penetrated the man's cloak, and entered the lion's back. The same man threw another spear, but, instead of taking the direction he intended, it pierced the body of a dog that was barking near. The natives would have fired, but they were afraid of shooting the man. To drive him away, however, if possible, they made a great noise, and threw some stones. The lion then left the man and rushed toward them, when they again checked his attack by turning the horses round. He next crept under the belly of a mare, and seized her by the fore legs, but, with a powerful kick, she made him let go his hold. In revenge, and by one stroke of his paw, he tore open the body of the mare, and retired. After this, he tried to get round the horses to the men; but when within two yards of one of them, and on the point of making a spring, he was happily killed by a musket shot, the ball penetrating behind the ear.

A Terrible Scene.

Mr. Gordon Cumming, who has earned for himself a rather unenvia ble reputation by his ruthless slaughter of animals, graphically describes a terrific scene: All had retired to rest, when suddenly the appalling and murderous voice of an angry, bloodthirsty lion burst upon my ears within a few yards of us, followed by the shrieking of the Hottentots. Again and again the murderous roar of attack was repeated. We heard John and Ruyter shriek, "The lion! the lion!" Still, for a few moments, we

thought he was but chasing one of the dogs round the kraal, but the next instant John Strofulus rushed into the midst of us, almost speech

less with fear and terror, his eyes bursting from their sockets, and shrieked out, "The lion! the lion! he has got Hendrick! he dragged him away from the fire beside me. I struck him with the burning brands on his head,

THE IMPERIAL LION OF AFRICA.

but he wouldn't let go his hold. Hendrick is dead! O God! Hendrick is dead! let us take fire and seek him!"

The rest of my people rushed about shrieking and yelling as if they were mad. I was at once angry with them for their folly, and told them that if they did not stand still and keep quiet, the lion would have another of us, and that very likely there was a troop of them. I ordered the dogs, which were nearly all fast, to be made loose, and the fire increased as far as could be. I then shouted Hendrick's name, but all was still. I told my men that Hendrick was dead, and that a regiment of soldiers could not now help him; and hunting my dogs forward, I had everything brought within my cattle kraal, when we lighted our fire, and closed the entrance as well as we could.

In the Jaws of Death.

It appeared that when the unforunate Hendrick rose to drive in the ox, the lion had watched him to his fireside, and he had scarcely lain down when the brute sprang upon him and Ruyter (for both lay under one blanket), with his appalling, murderous roar; and, roaring as he lay, grappled him with his fearful claws, and kept biting him on the breast and shoulders, all the while feeling for his neck; having got hold of which, he at once dragged him away backwards, round the bush into the dense shade. As the lion lay on the unfortunate man, he faintly cried, "Help me! help me! O God, men, help me!" After which the fearful beast got hold of his neck, and then all was still, except that his comrades heard the bones cracking between the teeth of the lion.

The Bushmen have remarked that the lion generally kills and devours his prey in the morning at sunrise, or at sunset; when, therefore, they intend to kill these animals, they notice where the spring-bucks are grazing at the rising of the sun, and by observing, at the same time, if they appear frightened and run off, they conclude that they have been attacked by the lion. Marking accurately the spot where the alarm took place, about eleven o'olock in the day, when the sun is powerful, and the enemy they seek is supposed to be fast asleep, they carefully examine the ground, and, finding him in a state of unguarded security, they lodge a poisoned arrow in his breast. The moment the lion is thus struck, he springs from his lair and bounds off as helpless as the stricken deer. The work is done; the arrow of death has pierced his heart without even breaking the slumbers of the lioness which may have been lying beside him; and the Bushman knows where, in the course of a few hours, or even less time, he will find him in his last agonies, or actually dead.

Sir George Davis, who was English consul at Naples, when a great plague raged there, retired in consequence to Florence. Visiting, one day, the menagerie of the Grand Duke, he noticed a lion at the further end of one of the dens, which the keepers stated they had been unable to tame, though every effort had been made for upwards of three years. Yet no sooner had Sir George reached the gate of the den, than the lion ran to it, reared himself up, purred like a cat when pleased, and licked the hand that was put through the bars. The keeper was astonished, and, frightened for the safety of his visitor, entreated him not to trust an apparent fit of frenzy, as the lion was the most fierce and sullen of his tribe he had ever seen. This, however, had no effect on Sir George, who insisted on entering the lion's den. The moment he got in the lion manifested the greatest delight, threw his paws on his shoulders, licked his face, ran about him, and purred like an affectionate cat.

This occurrence became the talk of Florence, and reached the ear of the Grand Duke, who sent for Sir George, and requested an interview at the menagerie, that he might personally witness the conduct of the lion.

"A captain of a ship from Barbary," said Sir George, " gave me this lion when quite a whelp. I brought him up tame; but, when I thought him too large to run about the house, I built a den for him in my courtyard. From that time he was never permitted to be loose, except when brought to the house to be exhibited to my friends. When he was five years old he did some mischief by pawing and playing with people in his frolicsome moods. Having gripped a man one day a little too hard, I ordered him to be shot, for fear of incurring any guilt. On this, a friend begged him as a present. How he came here I know not."

"Your friend, Sir George," said the Grand Duke, "was the very same person who presented this lion to me."

Device of a Lioness to Save Her Young.

The following well authenticated fact helps to reveal the nature of this wonderful animal. Part of a ship's crew being sent on shore, on the coast of India, for the purpose of cutting wood, one man, induced by curiosity to stray to a considerable distance from his companions, became greatly alarmed as he saw a large lioness walking towards him. On her coming up, however, his fear was allayed; she laid down at his feet, looking very earnestly first in his face, and then at a tree a little way off, and afterwards proceeded to the tree, yet looking back, as if she wished the sailor to follow her. At length he ventured, and approaching the tree he saw a huge baboon, with two cubs, in his arms, which he immediately supposed to be those of the lioness, as she couched down like a cat, and