THE KATHIAWAR LION. 15 



tried both ways and have been more suocessful with tlie latter, but on 

 two out of three occasions on which I resorted to it I had rather 

 narrow escapes from charges. I have also heard of lions beinfr shot 

 by sittinfT over goats — more than one lion has met his end in this (to a 

 lion?) ignominious way on the Amreli border. One sportsman told me 

 he had banrged his only lion by sitting up in a tree, over one of the 

 boliiras already mentioned with a kid. When the latter was made to 

 bleat, the lion appeared at once and was shot. 



To show the amount of damage the lions do amongst cattle I may 

 mention that the last one I shot was one of two which had during the 

 previous night broken into the cattle zareba of a Rabari Ness, killed 

 three cows and mauled two more. A sixth was missing when I 

 arrived on the scene. This one we found later on quietly grazing near 

 the lions while they lay fast asleep under a tcadh tree quite two miles 

 away from the Ness, having evidently been driven along by them 

 to serve for their next meal. 



In conclusion, I would remark, that it is somewhat extraordinary 

 that the British Museum has not, as yet, been able to procure a single 

 specimen of this fast disappearing animal for its collection. The autho- 

 rities there have, it is true, been promised a specimen but so far the 

 promise has still to be kept. A skin they would have obtained a 

 short time ago but the latter was not sufficienlty perfect for setting up. 

 Our own Society too, I am aware, is desirous of obtaining a specimen 

 for the same purpose. It is not too late yet for the deficiency in both 

 Institutions to be made good, and I trust that His Highness the 

 Nawab of Junagadh may be able to see his way before very long to 

 make what will be a most valuable present to one if not to both 

 Museums. In the event of such a handsome ofller being made, it will 

 certainly be very advisable for our Society to send an expert taxi- 

 dermist to the Gir to superintend the skinning and preservation of the 

 specimen, otherwise I am afraid disappointment will only result. 



Kashmir, I2th Nov, 1908. 



^Vote.— (Since the above was written the Society has been presented with the ekin of a 

 joungmale Lion by His Highness the Nawab of Junag-adh. The specimen which was shot 

 by Mr. Dnriley Myers on the 7th March l".'Ol> was obtained through the instrumentality of two 

 of the Society's membera— Mr. C. H. HiU, C.I.E., I.C.S., and Mr. W. H. Lucas, I.C.S., 

 and measured between uprights: — 



Length of head and body.^ m Ji'-C" 



„ „ tail 2'-8" 



or a total length of 8'-2" 



The skin is being forwarded to England to be mounted for the Society's Museum. — Eos.) 



