The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-11-01

ed by his Age lie attAins his name ia the
third year Of his existence ] have remarked
that At first Il 10 Of yeilowish color IN the
prime Of life Il IL blackest, and when he has
numbered many years, bat 10 still In the full
enjoymsnt Of bis power u assumes a yellow
ish-gray, pepPer-and- salt sort Of color These
old fellowa are cunning and dangerous, aud
uiast 20 he dreaded. The females are utterly
destitute Of AmSne being covered with short
and thick glossy coat Of tAwny hair. The
names and coats of lions freqaenting openly
ing districts utterly destitate Of trees, such ~
the borders Of the great KAlahAri desert, are
more rank aud handsome than those inhabit-
IiHH' 'f6f6il districta,
One ofthe most striking things connected
with the lion Is his voice, which is extremely
grand and peculiarly striking, IL consists at
timeA ofa low, deep moaning, repeated Eve or
six times, ending in family audible sighs at
other times he startles the forest with loud,
deeptoned, solemn roars repeated five or six
times Ia quick succession, each increasing in
loudness TO the third or fourth, when his voice
dies away ia fyo or six low-mufilcd sounds,
very much resembling distant thunder Al
times, and not uniroquenhy, troop may be
heard roaring in concert one assuming the
lead, and two, three, or four more regularly
taking up their parts, Ike persons singing
catch, Like our Scottish stays At the rutdng
season, they roar loudest In cold frosty nights;
blt on no occasion are their voices 10 b.
heard IN such perfection, or 20 intensely pow.
erhil, al whon two or three strange troops Of
lions approach % fountain 10 drink at the
same time. When this occurs every mcmbcr
Of each troop sounds bold roar of defiance
J at the opposite partiosi and when one roars,
all roar together, and each seems To vic with
his oomrudes In the intensity and power OF
his voice. The power and grandeur oftbose
nocturnal forest concerts Is inconeciyably
striking aud pleasing TO the hunters ear
The effect, may remark, is greatly enhhno-
ed when the hearer happens 10 be situated in
the depths of the forest, at the dead hour Of
midnight, unaccompanied by an attendant
aud opsconocd within twenty yards Of the
fou.'ain which tho surrounding troops of H.
ons arc approaching. Such has been my sit
uaton many scores of times and though am
allowed to have a tolerAble good taste for mu-
sic, consider the catches with which was
then RECALLED as the sweetest aud most natural
l ever heard.
=Asa= =gaAeEal =riils=iioHs F,safs during nc
night; their signing means commencing ne
the shades of the evening envelop the forest,
and continuing at intervals throughout the
night In distant and secluded regions, how
ever, have constantly heard them roaring
loudly as late AS nine O'Clock on bright sun
ny morning In hazy and rainy Weather they
arc to be heard at every hour OF the day, but
their roar is subdned. II often happens that
when two strange male lions meet at foun-
tain, terrific combat ensues, which not lu1=
frequently ends in the death Of one Of them.
The habits Of tho lion are strictly nocturnal
during tho day he lies concealed beneath the
shade Of some low bushy tree or wide spread
ing bush, either in the level forest or on the
mountain side. He is also partial to LOFTY
reeds, or fields Of long, rank, yellow grass,
such as occur in low-lying valleys. From
these haunts he sallies forth when the sun
When he is successful in his beat, and has Sc
cured his prey, he does not roar much that
night, only uttering occasionally few low
moans; that is, provided no intruders approach
him; otherwise the case would be very diff
ierent
Lions are ever more activo, daring, and
presuming in dark aud stormy nGhts and
consequently, on such occasions, the traveller
ought more particularly to be on his guard
l remarked fact connected with the lions
hour of drinking, peculiar TO themselves they
seemed unwilling to visit the fountains with
) good moonlight. Thus, when the moon rose
: early, the lions deferred their hour Of water.
ing until late in the morning and when the
, moon rose late, they drank at a very carly
! hour in the night BY this acute system ma.
ssSisls' r,-s1eya iris bacon, and is nov
Illustrating in tho forest of South Afrita
which had otherwise fallen by the barrels of
/ my "Wcstley Richards" Owing to the taw
NY color of the coat with which nature ha,
robed him, he Is perfectly invisible in tn,
, dark and although have often heard then
loudly tapping the water under my very nose
not twenty yards from me, could not posi-
| bly, make out so much as the outline of theii
forms. When thirsty lion comes TO water
he stretches out his massive arms, lies dowr
, on his breast TO drink, and makes loud lap
ping noise in drinking, not to be mistaken
He continues tapping up the water for long
r while, and four or Eve times during the pro
, ceedings he. .pauses for half a minute as III II
, take breath: One thing conspicuous abou
them is their eyes, which, in dark night
Iglow like tive balls of fire. The female 4
more fierce and active than the male, as ,
general rule. gionesses which have neyel
had young are much more dangerous thai
those which have. anH ara -.
Y AZ no time is the lion 50 much TO be dread
e9 as Wien his partner has got small young
, loNhr A. thai s..son ko Lrcvra ,,a ~ -