Connecticut western news., 1890-02-12
THE ALGERIAN LION.
HIS MAGNIFICENT STRENGTH AND
 COURAGE.
A Faithful Husband and Father. Pear
 full Fight Between Lions.

A Faithful Husband and Father. r.---Fear-
 full Fight Between Lions.
 We knew little about the lion till M. Jules Gerard, an officer of the French army in Algeria, made that animal his study, and enligh ened us. We hardly knew what the lion was like, to begin with; for we judged of him by the specimens we see in menagerie cages animals, as Gerard says, taken from the mothers when they were puppies, and deprived of the liberty and free mountain air essentia. to them; in fact, reared like rabbits in a hutch. But wild, and in Algeria, the lion at tains size beyond our ideas, and, with his magnificent mane, has an ap- pearance which would absolutely frighten the mangy, poodle-like speci- geological gardens. The strongest man in the cavalry regiment to which Jules Gerard belonged was unable to lift the skin and head of an Algerian lion Gerard had kill ed.
 We have been equally mistaken as to the lions character, amt our mistakes have arisen because naturalists and travellers have been content to observe him by day only, forgetting that he belongs to the feline race which as a rule is quite out of its element in the sunshine.
 Lions usually mate about the end of January; but so many lionesses are cut off in infancy by teething that there are always many more males than females, and so the lion has con- siderable difficulty in providing him. self with wife. In fact, it is not uncommon to meet young leonine lady accompanied by three or four suitors, who quarrel among themselves as jealous young lions may be supposed to quarrel. Sometimes one of these lovers succeeds in driving off the rest, aud marrics the lady; but if not, mad anne, tired of their quarrels, and wishing, perhaps, for little domestic peace, leads them into the presence of an old lion. The result she has calcu- lated on. The young lions attack the
 
 but the old fellow, taking it quietly, breaks the leg of one assailant, stran- gles another, and the third has reason to consider himself happy if he cs- capes with only the loss of an eye. Having thus cleared the field, the coli queror roars, shakes his mane, and then couches down by the lady's side, who cares ingly licks the wounds he has received for her sake.
 But when two full-grown lions fight in such cause, the encounter is not concluded 30 readily. An Arab of the tribe of Kesenna told Jules Gerard the following story: He (Mohammed) was spending moonlight night in 8 tree, when he espied 8 lioness, fol- lowed by full-grown tawny lion, coming down the path near by. The lioness, leaving the path, camc and lay down under the tree in which Moham- med was perched, but the lion re- mained standing in the path, and seemed to listen. Presently the distant roar of another lion was heard, to which the lioness responded, at which her companion roared so furiously that the frightened Arab let his gun drop, and .clung to the branches lest he should fall himself. Then were heard sounds as If the lion in the distance were approaching, and as he drew nea"er the lioness roared still louder, when her enraged husband made to- ward her as if to force her to keep silence. Some time after, @ black lion made bis appearance at the border of the plain.
 The lioness rose to go to him; but, guessing her intention, her husband bounded toward his enemy. They crouched face to face, roaring. and then sprang at each other, rolling over the grass in deadly strife. The battle was terrible. Their bones cracked be- tween each others jaws. They tore at each others stomachs, and their crles, now fierce, now agonizing, betrayed their mingled rage and pain. The lioness, meanwhile, lay quietly looking on; and as the fight grew fiercer and more deadly. her tail wagged with sat isfactien at the spectacle. At length, the battle ended, she walked leisurely up to the comba tants, now stretched motionless, smelled at them, and, find ing them both dead, coolly walked off.
 Such, Gerard tells us, is the heart less conduct of leonine wives in gen. eral; while they are always treated with faithfulness and affection by their lords. The lion is, in fact, the slave of his wife. Sh, always takes pre- cedence; when she stops, he stops. On arriving at the douar Ca collection of Arab tents, which we would call a s.village"), where they expect to find their supper, she lies down while he leaps into the inclosure and brings to her the booty. He watches her with satisfaction while she eats, taking care that no one shall disturb her repast ; and not uLtil her appetite is satisfied docs he begin his meal. When the lioness has children, which usually happens about New Year, they seek a lonely ravine, and the puppies, which are generally one male and one female in number, are most tenderly cared for. While young, the mother never quits them for an instant, and the father only quits them to bring home supper. When they are three months old their weaning commences.
 At tAc age of or 5 months the young ones follow the.r mother to the border of the forest, where their father brings them their supper. When 6 months old, they accompany father and mother in all nocturnal expeditions. From to 12 months, under their par ent's tuition, they learn to attack