halted for a moment, ready to dive under the water if she attacked me, but she was stunned, and did not know what she was doing; so, running in upon her, and seizing her short tail, I attempted to incline her course to land. It was extraordinary what enormous strength she still had in the water. I could not guide her in the slightest, and she continued to splash, and plunge, and blow, and make her circular course, carrying me along with her as if I was a fly on her tail. Finding her tail gave me but a poor hold, as the only means of securing my prey, I took out my knife, and cutting two deep parallel incisions through the skin on her rump, and lifting this skin from the flesh, so that I could get in my two hands, I made use of this as a handle; and after some desperate hard work, sometimes pushing and sometimes pulling, the sea-cow continuing her circular course all the time and I holding on at her rump like grim Death, eventually I succeeded in bringing this gigantic and most powerful animal to the bank. Here the Bushman quickly brought me a stout buffalo-rheim from my horse's neck, which I passed through the opening in the thick skin, and moored Behemoth to a tree. I then took my rifle and sent a ball through the centre of her head, and she was numbered with the dead. By moonlight we took down a span of select oxen and a pair of rheim chains, and succeeded in dragging the sea-cow high and dry. We were all astonished at her enormous size; she appeared to be about five feet broad across the belly. I could see much beauty in the animal, which Nature has admirably formed for the amphibious life it was destined to pursue.-She was extremely fat, more resembling a pig than a cow or a horse.'

tamus.

This remark of our author's is in accordance with the true affinities and place in nature of the miscalled river-horse or hippopoThe resemblance of some of the snorting noises made by it to a neigh, its mode of lifting its head out of water, and its erect quick-moving ears, added to its size, may have suggested the name in the first instance. The gyratory movements of the animal after its stunning wounds in the head may recall to the physiologist the analogous movements by which the dog or rabbit, under the hands of a Majendie, discloses to the gaping students the success of one of his horrid experiments upon the brain of his victim. It was a common phenomenon after the hippopotamus had received a shot in the brain-case. Mr. Cumming notes that one huge cow remained under water for ten minutes at a time, a time, then just showing her face for a second, making a blowing like a whale, and returning to the bottom' (vol. ii. p. 181). We have already adverted to the apparent spouting' of the hippopotamus, and the similitude to the cetaceous order was forced upon the observer and slayer of the amphibious pachyderm on more than one occasion. After repeatedly wounding another large cow, Mr. Cumming remarks, this last shot set her in motion once more, and she commenced struggling in the water in the most extraordinary manner, disappearing

pearing for a few seconds and then coming up like a great whale, setting the whole river in an uproar.'

The bald result of many hippopotamuses slain, and of more grievously wounded, was the addition of a few skulls to the collection of sporting trophies. The flesh of the slaughtered beasts was, however, greedily devoured by the Hottentot 'tail' which followed the fortunes of the adventurous Highlander, and he himself pronounces it to be excellent.

Mr. Cumming probably may never have read Ælian ‘On the Peculiarities of Animals,' and was without doubt quite unconscious of the pains which it has cost the modern naturalist to determine the reality and nature of the animal which the credulous Roman collector of strange stories calls the horned hog. 'No. 96. Skull of the Wild Boar of the plains of South Africa,' in the Chinese Gallery, is a specimen of this animal; or proves, at least, that a species of the remarkable genus Phacochorus, or Wart-hog, which is distributed over Africa from Nubia to the Cape, was the subject of the following sport:

6 In the afternoon we continued our journey to the northward, through a country of increasing loveliness. Beautifully wooded hills and valleys, captivating to the sportsman's eye, stretched away on every side, with rivulets of crystal waters in the valleys and the spoor of large game very abundant. On the march my dogs dashed up the wind, and in two minutes the peaceful forest was disturbed by their united voices, angrily barking around some animal which they had brought to bay. Snatching up my rifle, I rushed to the scene of conflict, and found them actively baying a fierce and grisly boar, whose foaming jaws were adorned with a pair of tusks so enormous as to resemble horns, each of them being upwards of a foot in length. It was some time before I could obtain a clear shot, owing to the eagerness of my dogs, but at length an opening occurred, when I dropped the grim boar with a bullet in the heart. Night had scarcely set in when lions commenced to roar in concert on every side of us, and continued their deep and awful music until the sun rose next day.'vol. i. p. 258.

The great Wart-hogs of Africa are quite distinct from the ordinary wild boars of Asia and Europe. In their dentition they much more nearly correspond with the elephant, and their enormous horn-like tusks take a polish like ivory. Two young specimens of Phacochoerus have been recently added to the Menagerie in the Regent's Park. The animal had never before been exhibited in Europe.

In the course of his encounters with the various large herbivorous quadrupeds, Mr. Cumming frequently fell in with the carnivorous king of beasts, to whom is mainly assigned the task of checking the undue increase of the vegetable feeders in South

Africa;

Africa; and, thanks to the dauntless bearing with which he availed himself of all the opportunities of observing and encountering the lion in his native haunts, science is indebted to him for the rectification of some current errors in the natural history of that noble feline. He modestly apologises (p. 193) for offering the result of his experience; but we can assure him that, so far as our zoological reading extends, we know of no other account of the habits of the lion so true to the known organization of the beast-none penned more ably. His grand victim is not to be omitted. His shooting one day had been interrupted by a tropical thunder-storm, which had had its usual effect in taming the large herds of wildebeests, springboks, blesboks, and quaggas that roamed on every side, and, as he rode slowly along through the midst of them, would scarcely move out of rifle-range. A lioness, taking advantage of the sedative effect of the storm, had secured a blesbok, and was disturbed by our author at that most aggravating moment to biped or quadruped carnivore, whilst she was busily dining:

'She was assisted in her repast by about a dozen jackals, which were feasting along with her in the most friendly and confidential manner. Directing, my followers' attention to the spot, I remarked, "I see the lion;" to which they replied, "Whar? whar? Yah! Almagtig! dat is he ;" and instantly reining in their steeds and wheeling about, they pressed their heels to their horses' sides, and were preparing to betake themselves to flight. I asked them what they were going to do? To which they answered, "We have not yet placed caps on our rifles." This was true; but while this short conversation was passing the lioness had observed us. Raising her full, round face, she overhauled us for a few seconds and then set off at a smart canter towards a range of mountains some miles to the northward; the whole troop of jackals also started off in another direction; there was, therefore, no time to think of caps. The first move was to bring her to bay, and not a second was to be lost. Spurring my good and lively steed, and shouting to my men to follow, I flew across the plain, and, being fortunately mounted on Colesberg, the flower of my stud, I gained upon her at every stride. This was to me a joyful moment, and I at once made up my mind that she or I must die.

'The lioness having had a long start of me, we went over a considerable extent of ground before I came up with her. She was a large full-grown beast, and the bare and level nature of the plain added to her imposing appearance. Finding that I gained upon her, she reduced her pace from a canter to a trot, carrying her tail stuck out behind her, and slewed a little to one side. I shouted loudly to her to halt, as I wished to speak with her, upon which she suddenly pulled up, and sat on her haunches like a dog, with her back towards me, not even deigning to look round. She then appeared to say to herself, "Does this fellow know who he is after?" Having thus sat for half a minute,

as

as if involved in thought, she sprang to her feet, and, facing about, stood looking at me for a few seconds, moving her tail slowly from side to side, showing her teeth, and growling fiercely. She next made a short run forwards, making a loud, rumbling noise like thunder. This she did to intimidate me; but, finding that I did not flinch an inch nor seem to heed her hostile demonstrations, she quietly stretched out her massive arms, and lay down on the grass. My Hottentots now coming up, we all three dismounted, and, drawing our rifles from their holsters, we looked to see if the powder was up in the nipples, and put on our caps. While this was doing the lioness sat up, and showed evident symptoms of uneasiness. She looked first at us, and then behind her, as if to see if the coast were clear; after which she made a short run towards us, uttering her deep-drawn murderous growls. Having secured the three horses to one another by their rheims, we led them on as if we intended to pass her, in the hope of obtaining a broadside. But this she carefully avoided to expose, presenting only her full front. I had given Stofolus my Moore rifle, with orders to shoot her if she should spring upon me, but on no account to fire before Kleinboy was to stand ready to hand me my Purdey rifle, in case the two-grooved Dixon should not prove sufficient. My men as yet had been steady, but they were in a precious stew, their faces having assumed a ghastly paleness; and I had a painful feeling that I could place no reliance on them.

me.

Now, then, for it, neck or nothing! She is within sixty yards of us, and she keeps advancing. We turned the horses' tails to her. I knelt on one side, and, taking a steady aim at her breast, let fly. The ball cracked loudly on her tawny hide, and crippled her in the shoulder, upon which she charged with an appalling roar, and in the twinkling of an eye she was in the midst of us. At this moment Stofolus's rifle exploded in his hand, and Kleinboy, whom I had ordered to stand ready by me, danced about like a duck in a gale of wind. The lioness sprang upon Colesberg, and fearfully lacerated his ribs and haunches with her horrid teeth and claws; the worst wound was on his haunch, which exhibited a sickening, yawning gash, more than twelve inches long, almost laying bare the very bone. I was very cool and steady, and did not feel in the least degree nervous, having fortunately great confidence in my own shooting; but I must confess, when the whole affair was over I felt that it was a very awful situation and attended with extreme peril, as I had no friend with me on whom I could rely.

When the lioness sprang on Colesberg, I stood out from the horses, ready with my second barrel for the first chance she should

give me of a clear shot. This she quickly did; for, seemingly satisfied with the revenge she had now taken, she quitted Colesberg, and, slewing her tail to one side, trotted sulkily past within a few paces of me, taking one step to the left. I pitched my rifle to my shoulder, and in another second the lioness was stretched on the plain a lifeless corpse. In the struggles of death she half turned on her back, and stretched her neck and fore arms convulsively, when she fell back to

her

her former position; her mighty arms hung powerless by her side, her lower jaw fell, blood streamed from her mouth, and she expired. At the moment I fired my second shot, Stofolus, who hardly knew whether he was alive or dead, allowed the three horses to escape. These galloped frantically across the plain; on which he and Kleinboy instantly started after them, leaving me standing alone and unarmed within a few paces of the lioness, which they, from their anxiety to be out of the way, evidently considered quite capable of doing further mischief.'-vol. i. p. 206.

many

similar encounters may be The safety of the hunter in ascribed to the general unwillingness of the lion to attack a man, and its preference, when roused to resistance, for falling upon any quadruped which may be at hand. We are sorely tempted by the exciting character of many of these adventures, some of which are illustrated by life-like sketches; but we must refrain. The zoologist will find a graphic summary of the habits and external characters of the South African variety of the Felis Leo (Tao of the Hottentots) in vol. i. pp. 192–201.

In these and Mr. Cumming's other observations, fresh from nature, there are important rectifications of errors relative to their subject which, having crept into the pages of some of the best and most original authors on the Animal Kingdom, have been handed down from work to work unquestioned by the compilers. For example, the celebrated John Hunter, in his Account of an Extraordinary Pheasant, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1780, remarks upon certain sexual changes which happen at a particular period like to what is observed of the horns of the stag, which differ at different ages; or to the mane of the lion, which But whoever has studied does not grow till after his fifth year.' the African lions at the Zoological Gardens must be satisfied of the accuracy of Mr. Cumming's remark that the mane is distinctly developed at the third year; and that it acquires its full size at the fourth year. Again, nothing seemed more certain in the habits of the lion than that which has been repeated by writer after writer as to the solitary grandeur in which the king of beasts always stalked forth in quest of prey. It has furnished allusions to the poet and illustrations to the metaphysician; and a lamented Wit, in his posthumous Sketches of Moral Philosophy,' characteristically avails himself of it. Treating of the conditions of man's supremacy, Sydney Smith says:

6

His gregarious nature is another cause of man's superiority over A lion lies under a hole in a rock; and if any all other animals. other lion happen to pass by, they fight. Now, whoever gets a habit of lying under a hole in a rock, and fighting with every gentleman who passes near him, cannot possibly make any progress.'

Mr. Cumming, however, assures us that it is not uncommon

to