With Flashlight and Rifle ^ 



a thorn-bush, and there is no tloubt that they are often 

 fruitful enoui^ii. In this way it was that Count Couden- 

 hove some years ago in SomaHland shot seven lions in 

 one nioht on the dead body ot an elephant. lie describes 

 the incident lucidlv in the account ot his travels. I think- 

 highly of his description. It seems to me absolutely con- 

 vincing, and without e.xaggeration of any kind. 



Count Coudenhove tells us how he was gradually 

 bewildered l)y the way in which lion after lion kept 

 turning up continually (juite near him during the night, 

 and thus went through a bv no means en\ial)le experience. 

 I have myself had similar experiences on such occasions. 

 They have given me many interesting opi)ortunities of 

 studying the habits ot animrils at night time, Ijut I must 

 say that I don't think much ot the shooting ot lions at 

 short range from the security ot' a thorndjush as a sport. 

 The darkness necessitates your shooting more or less by 

 guesswork ; sleep, so essential to you in these unhealthy 

 climates, is interfered with, and your day's work is entirely 

 upset. 



I consider every other kind of liondiunting prefer- 

 alde to these night-shoots, even the iron-plate tra[^ method, 

 which often has very dangerous and exciting consequences 

 owing to the lion breaking away with the: iron. 



The lion leads a nocturnal existence generalK" speaking, 

 and rests under trees and in bushes during the day. 

 l)y da\-, therefore, he is very seldom to be seen. b'\en 

 when you do sight him, he has generally sighted you 

 first, and disappears into the thicket before vou can get 

 a shot at him. .So lar l)ack as i8g6 I xcntured to 



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