THE PIT- FALL. 171 



will span above the knee. When the gun is level 

 with this, and the string adjusted as above, the ball 

 will penetrate the lion's heart." 



As regards South Africa, at least, the lion is 

 seldom or never taken in the pit-fall. That these 

 beasts occasionally find their way into such as are 

 intended for the giraffe, and other large game, is 

 true, but by the aid of their claws they would 

 invariably seem to dig themselves out. 



An amusing incident of this kind occurred near to 

 the place where my friend, Frederick Green, had on 

 one occasion "unyoked." The lion found himself 

 engulphed in the one compartment of a double- j>if- 

 /<///, (similar to that into which I myself and my 

 horse as elsewhere related were one fine day pre- 

 cipated), whilst in the other compartment was an 

 ostrich. But in this case the beast took the matter 

 very coolly for it was not until he had devoured 

 the greater part of his fellow-prisoner that he took 

 the trouble to extricate himself from the toils. 



Delegorguc again testifies to the inutility of the pit- 

 fall, of such at least as are in use in Southern Africa, 

 for the capture of the lion. " On one occasion," 

 lie writes, " we found two of these devices in near 

 proximity to each other. In the one was a young 

 pallah, living and unhurt, which bounded so high 

 on seeing us that we could touch its head with our 

 hands, notwithstanding the abvss was fifteen feet in 



O J 



depth. On the brink of the other, which was empty, 

 were visible traces of a large lion that had assuredly 

 taken possession of another pallah." 



But in Northern Africa in Algeria the lion, 



