284 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



by lying down that he could get a shot at it, when he 

 fired at its side without knowing the direction of the 

 head. On being hit the lion sprang up and disappeared, 

 and though they hunted for it for some hours they could 

 not find it again. The search, however, gave them the 

 valuable information that the lion had not left that part 

 of the island, as no fresh tracks could be seen in the 

 sand surrounding it, and the next day they resumed the 

 hunt. Again the surrounding sand was free from the 

 track of a lion, so a diligent search was commenced, 

 and every bush in turn examined, but owing to their 

 great thickness it was quite impossible to do this tho- 

 roughly, and at last, failing to find the lion, they were 

 obliged to adopt the expedient of setting fire to the 

 grass. The result was so far satisfactory that it soon 

 brought the lion into view, dead, but the fire had so 

 singed the skin that it was quite spoilt. This is par- 

 ticularly vexing, as it is the only one either of us has 

 shot with any pretence to a mane. From the remnants 

 brought home, it must have been a very fine fellow, 

 both in size and mane. 



Comparing the skull with that of my last lion, there 

 is a very marked difference in the shape of them, and 

 whilst Vivian's has a greater length, mine has a greater 

 breadth. Coupling this fact with the absence of mane 

 in one, and its presence in the other, are they, it may be 

 asked, distinct species ? During my recent attack the 



