Smyrna times., 1869-10-13
THE LION As a HUSBAND.

Gerard's work upon lion n-hunting in North
ern Africa gives an interesting account of the
lion as husband and a father lie says that
the lion generally seeks to form matrimonial
alliance at about the close of January. But he
first has to seek his wife and as the males are
tar more bundant than the females, it is not
rare to lind a young lady pestereI by the ad
dresses OF three or tour young gallants. Ii one
OF these does not succeed in driving away the
others, the impatient maiden leads them into
the presence of an old lion, whose roar she has
appreciated at distance. Tie lovers fly at
him with all the temerity Of youth. He how
ever, soon kills or crippeS them, and then |
basks himself in the sunshine OF his fair namo- |
rata eyes.
When two adult lions are the rivals, the |
encounter is more serious. An Arab, perchcd |
In tree one night, saw lioness followed by
tawny lion with full grown mane She lay
down at the foot Of the tree. The lion stopped
in his path and seemed TO listen. The Arab
then heard the distinct growing of lion, which
was instantly replied to by the lioncss under
the tree. This made her husband roar furious
| y. The distant lion was heard approaching,
and as he came nearer the lioness roared loud
! er, which seemed to agitate her husband, for
he marched towards her as if to force her to
be silent, and then sprang back to his old post,
roaring defiance at his distant rival This con-
tlnued for about an hour, when a black lion
made his appearance on the plain. The lioness
arose as If to go towards him. But her hus-
band, guessing her intention, bounded towards
his rival. The two crOuched and sprang on
each other, rolling on the grass in the embrace
of death. Their bones cracked, their flesh was
torn, their cries Of rage and agony rent the air
and all this time the liOness crouched and wag-
ged her tail slowly in sign of satisfaction.
When the combat was ended, and both warri-
ors were stretched on the plain, she rose, smelt
Il khar, Ho,l Al l.
and trOttcd off, quite regardless Of the uncom-
plimentary cpithet which the indignant Arab
5 shouted after her. This, Gerard tells us, is an
: example of the cOnjugal fidelity of Milady-
whereas, the lion never quits his wife unless he
S is forced, and is quite pattern of conjugal at
: tentiOn.
o AS may be imagined from the above, the
: lion becomes, after marriage, henpecked hus
:, band. His wife takes precedence in everything
/ and he submissivey obeys her commands
r When they arrive at an Arab village, she lay!
st down while he leaps into the enclosure anC
o brings to her the body. He mounts guarC
while she cats, and not until her appetite is sat
k isfed does he begin his own meal
IL Towards the close of December the happy
l. couple repair to some secluded ravine, and thu
n li1neSs becomes the gratifed mother of one
= two, sometimes three, young lions generally
IN one male and one female The little stranger
1- are the idols OF their arents. The mother nev
d er quits them for an instant and the fathe
De leaves them only for the purpose of procuring
IN provisions for their subsistence. When theS
interesting youths are three months old, tn
Sc process of weaving commences. The mothe
al teaches them to become reconciled to her occa
It. sional absence, and feeds them with mutto
ur carefully skinned and at this time the fathe
en- for the sake of tranquility, removes his lodl
u ings to a dlstance-near enough, however,
10 render assistance if required.
y. AT the age of four or five months the chi
nd dren follow their mother to the border of II
,ss forest, where the father brings them their SUI
no per. At six months old they accompany the
ife father and mother in all their nocturnal exp
ire ditions. From eight to twelve months old the
in learn to attack sheep goats, and even bull!
he but they are so awkward that they usual
nd wound ten for one they kill it is not till thu
he are two years old that they can kill horse
he bull at one bite. While their education
a thus in progress, they are ten times more rui
nd Gus to the Arabs since the family does n
ers content itself with killing the cattle require
ind for their own consumption, but kills that Il
the children may learn to kill. At three years 0
ted the children quit home and set up for theI
isl selves, becoming fathers and mothers in the
ors turn. Their places are occupied by anoth
ess brood. At eight years old the lion reaches N
he turity, and lives to be thirty or forty. VIII
1cy adult he is a magnificent creature very diffC
bic ent in size, aspect and disposition from Il
ass lions to be seen in our menageries and zoolo
OK cal gardens-animals taken from the mothe
I'm breast, bred like rabbits, deprived of the fre
ion mountain air and ample nOurishment AS
hey kindicatlon OF the size attained by lions II
state of nature, we may cite the fact mentic
rem ed by Gerard, that the strongest man in
the calvary regiment to which he belonged was
ing able to carry the skin and head of the j
ler- Gerard had killed.