Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-10-21
Mistellanp.
Latest Information About Lions.


1t is belief very commonly enter aired
that the lion is the fiercest and most for
midabe of all wild animals-the recogniz-
ed superior of all the rest-the skiing of
the forest" in which he prowls with un-
disputed sway, derouring whatsoever seems
good in his own eyes and agreeable to his
appetite. 1t may not be generally known
that once opon time lion and Bengal
tiger were brought together in an amphi-
theatre, to try their powers in a single
combat, and that the tiger killed the lion;
and that when the tiger was subsequently
pitted against buffalo, the buffalo killed
the tiger. This, however, is fact on re-
cord, which we have met with somewhere
in the course of our miscellaneous reading.
Other facts, have recently become known
to US through DR.. Livingston's Travels in
Africa, which will probably tend to de-
pose the lion from his prescriptive suprc-
macy as monarch Of the wilds. As these
present may be considered the latest infor-
NATION about lions, and are minutely illus
tratiye of their habits and relations with
other beasts of the forest, it may not be
uninteresting to such of our readers as
have not seen Livingstone's work, if We here
extract and shape them into a continuous
description. 1t will be shown that the lion
is by no means as formidable as is usual
ly supposed, and that, so far from being
superior to all other animals, he holds
among them comparatively subordinate
pos tion.
"When lion is met in the daytime"
says DR.. Livingstone, "a circumstance by
no means unfreequent to travellers in these
parts, if preconceived notions do not lead
them to expect something very noble or
majestic they will merely see an animal
somewhat larger than the biggest dog they
ever saw, and partaking very strongly of
the canine features; the face is not much
like the usual drawings of lion, the nose
being prolonged like a dogs: not exactly
ms our painters make it, though they might
learn better at, the. Geological Gardens;
their ideas of majesty being usually shown
by making their lions faces like old women
in nightcaps. When encountered in the
daytime, the lion stands a second Or two
gazing; then turns slowly round, and walks
as slowly away for dozen PAGES, looking
over his shoalder; then begins to tro,, and
when be thinks himself out of sight, bounds
off like greyhound. By day there is not,
as a rule the smallest danger of lions which
are not molesled attacking man, nor even
on clear moonlight night, except when
breeding; this makes them brave almost
any danger; and if a man happen to cross
to the windward of them, both lion and
lioness will rush at him, in the manner Of
bitch with whelps. This does not al
ways happen, as l only became aware of
two or three instances Of it. In one case
a man, passing where the wind blew from
him to the ANIMALS, was bitten before he
could climb tree; and occasionally man
on horseback has been caught by the leg
under the same circumstances. So g.ner-
al, however, is the sense of security on
moonlight nights, that We seldom tied up
our oxen, but let them lie loose by the
wagons; while on dark, rainy night, if a
lion is in the n-ighhorhood, he is almost
sure 10 venture to kill an OK. His approach
is always stealthy, except when wounded !;
and any appearance OF a trap is enough
10 cause him TO refrain from making the
last spring. This seems characteristic of
the feline species. When a goat Is picket
ed in India for tile purpose of enabling the
huntsman to shoot tiger by night, If on
plain he would whip off the animal so
quickly by stroke of the paw that no one
could take aim. To obviate this, a small
PIT Is dug and goat is picketed to stake
at the bottom; small stone is tied in the
ear of the goat, which makes him cry the
whole night. When the tiger sees the
appearance of a trap, he walks round and
round the pit, and allows The hunter who
is lying in wait TO have a fair shot.
"When lion is very hungry, and lying
in wait, the sight of an animal may make
him commence stalking it. In ole case a
man, while stealthily crawling towards q
rhinoceros, happened to glance behind him
and found to his horror lion stalking him
he only escaped by springing up tree like
cat. At Lopepe, lioness sprang or
the after-quarter of Mr.. Oswell'e horse
and when we came up to him we found
the marks of the claws on the horse, and a
scratch on Mr.. Oswell's hand. The horse
on feeling the lion On him sprang away,
and the rider, caught by wait a-bit thorn,
was brought to the ground and rendered
inseusible. His dogs saved him, An