23 NATURAL HISTORY. 



Of all methods, that which is attended with the least danger is the ditch, or pitfall, of the Arabs 

 of Algeria. This is a pit four or five yards broad, and ten deep, dug in the middle of the douar, or 

 small encampment of from ten to twenty tents, in which the Arabs live during the winter. The 

 whole douar is surrounded by a hedge, two or three yards in height, and a lesser hedge is placed round 

 the pit to prevent the cattle falling into it ; the latter being kept loose within the encampment to 

 attract Lions by their scent and their cries. When the desirable effect is attained, and a Lion has 

 made up his mind to take toll from the flock he hears bleating within the enclosure, he leaps the hedge 

 with one of his tremendous bounds, and, the ditch being a less distance from the hedge than the 

 horizontal range of his leap, falls headlong into the trap prepared for him, from which, owing to its 

 depth, and the fact that it is made narrower above than below, his most frantic efforts can never 

 succeed in extricating him. 



As soon as the Arabs hear his roars, and know that they have their enemy a prisoner, they 

 prepare a great feast, summon all the inhabitants of the neighbouring douars, and, proceeding to the 

 pit's mouth, every one hurls stones at the poor animal, calling him at the same time by all the 

 opprobrious names in the Arabic vocabulary, and, finally, fire upon him until he is dead. When this 

 is the case, they haul up the carcase with ropes ; and, having got their prey on level ground, " the 

 mothers take each a small piece of the animal's heart and give it to their male children to eat, in 

 order to render them strong and courageous. They take away as much as possible of the mane in 

 order to make amulets of it, which are supposed to have the same effect. Then, when the skin 

 has been removed and the flesh divided, each family goes back to its respective douar, where, in 

 the evening, beneath the tents, the event of the day will, for a long time, be the favourite story 

 with every one." 



Besides the pitfall, the Arabs construct ambushes, which are of two kinds. " In the first a, 

 hole is dug, about a yard deep, and three or four wide. After placing trunks of trees over it, and 

 covering them with heavy stones, the whole is strewed over with the earth dug out of the ground, 

 except in a few places on one side, where holes are left for the men to shoot through, and an 

 opening on the other, which forms the door of the cavern, and which is closed from the inside 

 by means of a piece of rock." A pit of this sort is made in some place frequented by Lions. 

 The carcase of an animal is put on the ground opposite the loopholes, and the Arabs get inside 

 and wait until the Lion begins to try conclusions with the bait, when he is promptly peppered 

 by his hidden enemies. 



In the second kind of ambush, the hunters conceal themselves in a tree instead, of in a pit. 

 Otherwise the mode of procedure is the same. 



All these methods of Lion-slaying are safe and sure, but scarcely heroic. Often, however,, 

 the Arabs organise regular hunting parties, and compass the death of their foe in a far more 

 legitimate and sportsman-like manner. A party of about fifty usually take part in the hunt ; they 

 proceed, after a good deal of talking over the plan of operations, to the Lion's lair, and by the foot- 

 marks it is determined whether the animal in question is young or old, male or female. Five or six 

 experienced Arabs act as watchmen to observe the movements of the game, and signal to their 

 comrades. The modus operandi varies with the age and sex of the Lion. Jules Gerard describes 

 the method when a full-grown male, of course the worst of all to have to do with, is diagnosed. 



"When the hunters have succeeded in getting within gunshot of the supposed lair, they 

 ' turn ' it, so as to command it from the high ground, and stop directly they command the posi- 

 tion, observing throughout their operations the greatest silence. As the Lion's sense of hearing is 

 very delicate, it sometimes happens that he hears the steps of the hunters, or the rolling of some 

 stone which has been displaced from the side of the mountain. In this case he rises and walks in the 

 direction of the sound. If one of the ' men of the watch ' perceive him, he takes the skirt of his 

 burnous in his right hand, and hoists it before him, which means ' I see him.' One of the huntsmen 

 from the group then stands forward, and puts himself in communication with him, shaking his 

 burnous from right to left, which signifies ' Where is he V and 'What is he doing ? ' If the Lion is still, 

 the ' man of the watch ' raises the skirts of his burnous to his head, then lets them fall, and walks a 

 few steps forwards, repeating the same signal, which may be translated by ' He is motionless, in front 

 of you, and at some distance.' If the Lion walks to the right or left, the man walks in the same 



