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BABY LIONS
181

recovered and is happy again. When Pompey was three months old, long, soft, tawny hair appeared and his pretty black spots began to fade. At six months of age, the new tawny coat was so thick that only a few spots on his legs were visible. His hair is much lighter in weight than human hair. The mane of a full-grown lion is estimated to weigh about a pound and a half.

Pompey has developed a fine black tassel at the tip of his tail. Also he is developing a voice. The first expression of that noble voice was a faint "meow." But it's going to grow into that great, reverberating roar composed of two syllables "Ah-oum," which is the grandest sound in our brute creation. Pompey is proud of his voice and exercises it on the slightest provocation. He struts before his little sister, because she won't have any voice to speak of, until she is five years old, and he is very vain of his accomplishment. His voice breaks at times and ends in a plaintive "meow." He looks sheepish then and lies down in the darkest corner of his cage.

Pompey is nine months old now, a scraggly mane is sprouting on his neck and he looks quite