On
my mentioning this fact some years ago, the assertion was doubted, so I
have been careful ever since to inquire the opinions of Europeans, who
have heard both, if they could detect any difference between the roar
of a lion and that of an ostrich; the invariable answer was, that they
could not when the animal was at any distance. The natives assert that
they can detect a variation between the commencement of the noise of
each. There is, it must be admitted, considerable difference between
the singing noise of a lion when full, and his deep, gruff growl when
hungry. In general the lion's voice seems to come deeper from the chest
than that of the ostrich, but to this day I can distinguish between them
with certainty only by knowing that the ostrich roars by day and the
lion by night.

The African lion is of a tawny color, like that of some mastiffs. The
mane in the male is large, and gives the idea of great power. In some
lions the ends of the hair of the mane are black; these go by the name
of black-maned lions, though as a whole all look of the yellow tawny
color. At the time of the discovery of the lake, Messrs. Oswell and
Wilson shot two specimens of another variety. One was an old lion, whose
teeth were mere stumps, and his claws worn quite blunt; the other was
full grown, in the prime of life, with white, perfect teeth; both were
entirely destitute of mane. The lions in the country near the lake give
tongue less than those further south. We scarcely ever heard them roar
at all.

The lion has other checks on inordinate increase besides man. He seldom
attacks full-grown animals; but frequently, when a buffalo calf is
caught by him, the cow rushes to the rescue, and a toss from her often
kills him. One we found was killed thus; and on the Leeambye another,
which died near Sesheke, had all the appearance of having received his
death-blow from a buffalo. It is questionable if a single lion ever
attacks a full-grown buffalo. The amount of roaring heard at night, on
occasions when a buffalo is killed, seems to indicate there are always
more than one lion engaged in the onslaught.

On the plain, south of Sebituane's ford, a herd of buffaloes kept a
number of lions from their young by the males turning their heads to
the enemy. The young and the cows were in the rear. One toss from a bull
would kill the strongest lion that ever breathed. I have been informed
that in one part of India even the tame buffaloes feel their