PITFALLS. 51 



forces it upon the stake, by which it is transfixed. Even 

 elephants of the largest size often fall victims to this simple 

 trap. It is only large enough to receive the fore-legs and 

 chest, but that is quite sufficient to cause the death of the 

 animal, the stake penetrating to the heart. 



Many a hunter has fallen into these traps, and found great 

 difficulty in escaping, while some have not escaped at all. 

 Indeed, in many parts of Southern Africa, when part of one 



PITFALL OF ANT-LION FOR CATCHING INSECTS. AFRICAN PITFALL FOE CATCHING LARGE GAME. 



tribe is about to visit another, the pitfalls are always unmasked, 

 lest the intended guests should fall into them. 



Even without the spike, the elephant would scarcely be able 

 to save itself, owing to its enormous weight, unless helped out 

 by its comrades before the hunters came up. Indeed, many 

 pitfalls are intentionally made for this purpose, and are of a 

 different shape, i.e. about eight feet in length and four in 

 breadth. 



In those which are made for the capture of the giraffe, the pit 

 is very deep, and the place of the stake is occupied by a trans- 

 verse wall, which prevents the feet of the captive from touching 

 the ground, and keeps it suspended until the hunters can come 

 and kill it at leisure. 



Even in Belgium and our own country the pitfall is in use. 

 When the field-mice were devastating the districts about 

 Liege some years ago, their ravages were effectually checked 

 by pitfalls, in which they were caught by bushels, the pitfalls 

 being simple holes some two feet deep, and made wider below 

 than above. 



The late Mr. Waterton contrived to rid his garden of field- 

 mice by pitfalls constructed on the same principle, though 

 more permanent. Finding that the little animals made great 



E 2 



