76 MAMMALS

young is marked with stripes and spots, just as the
males are, but more conspicuously. From their
general sandy colour it is obvious that lions are not
dwellers in forest districts, but in open sandy plains.
As a rule, they sleep during the day and prowl at
night, when their deep bass roar dominates every
other sound. A lion, however, has three roars—one
a sort of challenge; another, in quite a different key,
betraying his regret at being baulked of his prey ;
and a third a menagerie roar, which is by no means
alarming.

Sir Samuel Baker’s description of the challeng-
ing roar is perhaps the best: ‘There is nothing
so beautiful or enjoyable to my ears as the roar
of a lion on a still night, when everything is calm,
and no sound disturbs the solitude except the
awe-inspiring notes, like the rumble of distant
thunder, as they die away into the deepest bass.
The first few notes resemble the bellow of a bull ;
these are repeated in slow succession four or five
times, after which the voice is sunk into a lower key,
and a number of quick, short roars are at length
followed by rapid coughing notes, so deep and power-
ful that they seem to vibrate through the earth.’

The tiger (F. ¢igris) differs from the lion in the
absence of the mane and in the general colouration.
Tigers are boldly striped, as a rule, but white tigers,
and even black tigers, are on record; and the Chinese
tiger, instead of having a short velvety coat, is almost
as furry asa bear. The tiger is a splendid cat, quite
as long as the lion, though not so high on the legs ;
and he is the only cat with black cross stripes on his