Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1851-01-16

SocItL PR0PESsiTsEs OF LIoNs--Onc of the
most striking things connected with the hon,
Is his voice, which IS extremely grand and re-
cui.aty striking. Il consists at times Of
ioU deep meaning, repeated five or SIX times,
ending IH ftIuty audible signs at ctntr IIMes
he starl.e5 the forest win loud, deep toned,
-o.eEH raars, repeated five or SIX times in sue
cesslou. each Increasing In loudaess ID the
third or fourth, when his voice dies away In
i've or SIX low mltied sounds, very much
resembling distant thunder. ~ tunes. aud
not uu,Fe4ueat, a troop may he heard roaring
On concert one assuming the lead, and two,
three OF four more regularly taking up their
parts, Ike persons singing catch Like eur
>cotll ,h stays al ths ruttnE season, they roar
loudest !H cid frosty nights BAT on no occa-
sion are their voices - be heard in such per-
fect.ou, Or SO intensely powerful. as when t,vo
or three strange troops Of lions approach a
fountain u driuk at the same time Hhea
tRIS occurs, every member OF each trco p SQUADS
bold rolr of defiance at tile opposite ,.4rlr s
aad Waea one raars they all 70 t1get
aaj each seems - vie with his comrades 81
lie Intensity and p5we OI his voice.
Ine power aad grandeur o: taesl -t1s.-zf
flrest-cuncerts Is IHeonceIvabiy sfrik'-E !
pleasing 10 the hunters ear. Iae effect
greatly eahaBced when the nearer ,apnaas -
no situated n ihe depths Of the forest, a-
dead hauf If midnight, aaacceuraa = -
ny attendant, aud cusc5nced within f..aa-
wards vi the fountain which tae suuous- Z
troops Of lions are Approaching. SCca -ss
been my situation many scores CI times e.a
though am allowed 20 have a teieTablz 4 )
taste Ter music, consider the catches Wl1
which was rrga.ed as tbs sweetest and ..azt
uaturai ever heard. As general rule. .-ss
roar during the iLht; theIrsI IgtIsng 2 in0aus con-
uencIug as tie shades Of evening enyelap tbs
forest and continuing at Intervals tAr0ug gh7uE
me aignr. IL distant and secluded regions.
however. / have cons autly heard lheu roar
ing loadiy as .4-e as nine and ten o'clock on
bright sunny morning. lu hazy and rainy
Weather taey are to be heard every hour =
he dlg, bu. their roar is subdued. oftea
upF-as that when two strange male lions
meet a. fJuut.In, terrific combat easues
.vH.-st not uu.reIuenty ends II the death cf
.ae ot iHen.
The habits of the lion are strictly noctu7-
tal during the day he lies concealed beneath
me shade Of some iow bIshy tree or wide
spread bush, or either IN The level forest Or on
lie mountain side. lie Is also partial to lofty
eeds or fields II long rank yellow grass, suca
IS occur IN low lying valleys. From these
l4uuLs he salies forth when the sun goes
town. and commences his nightly prowl.-
~ hen he Is successful II MS beat, and has Sc
cured his prey. ae does not roar much that
.igat, only utterinE occasionally a few low
nJans; th3t Is, provided that no lntruders aP-
proach him, otherwise the case would be Ye-
ry different.
l remarked fact connected with the lions
hour Of drinking peculiar to theusel YES ; they
seem unwi.liuE % visit the fountain with good
moonlight. Thus. when the moon rose early,
the ligas deferred their hour Of watering until
late In ne morning and when the moon rose
a.e. they drank ~ a very early hour IN the
night. Owing to the tawuy color Of the coat
with which natYra has Fobed hi.n, ne i= per-
fecty invisible IN the dark and although I
have often heard them loudly tapping the va
ter under nay very nose, nat twenty yards
from ule, could not possibly make out 50
u,uch as the outline of their forms. " hen
th.rSty lion comes 20 water, he stretches out
his massive arms, and lies down on his breast
% drink, and makes loud tapping noise. not
to be mistaken. He continues tapping for a
long while, and fouE or ave times during the
proceeding he pauses for half minute as if
10 take breath. One thing conspicuous about
them IS their eyes. " hich ia a dark night glow
like two balls of fire. Ct4mmin}g's Hunters
BE -, s 7f-tr0