Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

F E L ( 5S3 ) F E L
part, in ordfer to deceive the enemy, that you may
really ftrike him in another.
A fimple feint is a mere'motion of the wrift, without
ftirring the foot.
FELAPTON, in logic, one of the fix firft modes of
the third figure of lyllogifms; whereof the firft propo-
fition is an univerfal negative, the fecond an univerfal
affirmative, and the third a particular negative.
FELIN, a town of Livonia, about an hundred miles
north-eaft of Riga.
FELLS, the Cat, a genus of quadrupeds belonging to
the order of ferae, the charadters of which-are thefe:
The fore teeth are equal; the molares or grinders have
three points; the tongue is furnilhed with rough (harp
prickles, and pointing backwards; and the claws are
fheathed, and retraftile; This genus' comprehends
feven genera, viz.
i.TheLEO, orLioN. Thelargeftlions are from eight
to nine feet in length, and.from four to eight feet high :
thofe of a fmaller fize are generally about 54 fe£t
long, and about 34 high. His head is very thick, and
his face is befet on all fides with long bufhy yellowifh
hair ; this Aaggy hair extends from the top of the
bead to below the fhoulders, and hangs down to his
knees the belly and breaft are likewife covered with
long hair. The reft of the body is covered with very
Lhort hair, excepting a bufh at the point of the tail.
The ears are roundifh, fhort, and almoft entirely con¬
cealed under the hair of his front. The fhagginefs of
the fore-part of his body makes the hinder part have a
naked appearance. The tail is long and very ftrong;
the legs are thick and flefhy ; and the feet are fhorr;
the length of the claws-is about an inch and a quarter,
are of a whitifh colour, very crooked, and can be ex¬
tended or retraced into the membranous fheath at
pleafure: Their points are feldom blunted, as they are
never extended but when he feizes his prey.
The female, or lionnefs, has no mane, or long hair a- -
bout her head or fhoulders; in her we fee diftin&ly the
whole face, head, ears, neck, fhoulders, bread, <bc.
at! thefe parts being in fome meafure concealed urr-
der the long hair of the male, give the female a very
different appearance: befides, fhe is confiderably lefs
than the male. The hair of both male and female is
of a yellowifh colour, and whitifh on the fides and
belly.
In warm countries, quadrupeds in general are lar¬
ger and ftronger than in the cokfior temperate climates’.-
They are likewife more fierce and hardy ; all their na¬
tural qualities feem to correfpond with the ardour of
the climate. The lions nourifhed under the fcorching
fun of Africa or the Indies, are the moft ftrong, fierce,
and terrible. Thofe of mount Atlas, whofe top is
fometimes covered with fnow, are neither fo ftfong or
fo ferocious as thofe of Biledulgerid or Zaara, whofe
plains are covered with burning fand. It is in thefe
hot and barren defarts, that the lion is the dreact of
travellers, and the fcourge of -the neighbouring pro¬
vinces. But it is a happy circumftance, that the fpe-
cies is not very numerous: they even appear to dimi-
nifh cfaily. The Romans, fays Mr. Shaw, brought
many more lions out of Lybia for their public fhewsy.
than are now to be found in that country. It is like¬
wife remarked, that the lions in Turkey, Perfia, and
the Indies are lefs numerous than formerly. As this
formidable and courageous animal makes a prey of
moft other animals, and is himfelf a prey to none,
this diminution in the number of the fpecies can be
owing to nothing but an incresfe in the number of man¬
kind : for it muft be acknowledged, that the ftrength
of this king of animals is not a match for the- dexte¬
rity and addrefs of a Negro or Hottentot, who will
often dare to attack-him face to face, and with very
flight weapons.
The ingenuity of mankind augments with their nunv-.„
ber; that of otbfer animals continues always the fame<Tp
All the noxious animals, as the lion, are reduced to
a fmall number, not only becaufe mankind are become
more numerous, but likewiie becaufe they have becoms.
more ingenious, and have invented weapons which no¬
thing can refift. This fuperiority in.the numbers and in-
duftry of mankind, at the fame time that it has broke
the vigour of the lion, feems likewife to have enerva¬
ted his courage. This quality, though natural, is ex¬
alted or lowered according-to the good or bad. fuccefs
with which any animal has been accuftomed to employ
his force. In the vaft defarts of Zaara; in thqfe
which feem to feparate two very different races of men,
the -Negroes and Moors, between Senegal and the
boundaries of Mauritania; in thofe uninhabited regions
above the country of the Hottentots ; and, in general,
in all the meridional parts of Africa and Afia, where
mankind have difdained to dwell, lions' are ftill as" nu¬
merous, and as ferocious as ever. Accuftomed to
meafure their ftrength by that of all other animals
which’they encounter, the habit of conquering renders
them haughty and intrepid. Having never experienced
the ftrength of man, or the power of his arms, inftead
of difcovering any figns of fear; they difdain and fet
him at defiance. Wounds irritate, but do not terrify
them : they are not even difconeerted at the fight of
numbers. A fingle lion of the E>efart has been known,
to attack a whole caravan ; and if, after a violent and
obftinate engagement, he found himfelf weakened, he
retreats fighting, always keeping,his face to the enemy.
On the other hand, the lions which live near the vil¬
lages or huts of the Indians-or Africans, being ac¬
quainted with man and the force of his arms, are fo
daftardly as to fiy* and leave their prey at the fight of
women or children.
Thisfofteningin the temper and difpofition of the lion,
fliows that he is capable of culture, and fufeeptible, at
leaft to a certain degree, of the impreffions that he re¬
ceives : accordingly, hiftory informs us of lions yoked in
triumphal chariots, tramed to war, or the chace; and
that, faithful to their mafters, they never employed
their ftrength or courage but againft their enemies. It is,
however, certain, that a lion taken young and brought
wp among domeftic animals, will eafily be accuftorned
to live and fpbrt with them; that he is mild and ca-
reffing to his mafter, efpecially when he is young; and
that,-if his natural ferocity fometimes breaks out, it