ORDER OF CARNIVORA. 351 



exclusive ownership. No other animal of the same species is 

 permitted to plant its foot on this reserved domain without 

 having to contend for proprietorship. Travellers have given us 

 descriptions of these terrible contests, which are often termi- 

 nated hy the death of the two competitors. 



Another cause of strife between the males, is the possession of 

 the females in the coupling season. It appears that these dames 

 take a malicious pleasure in exciting the jealousy of their wooers, 

 and that it aifords them pleasure to see these fiery champions slay 

 each other for the sake of their good graces. 



The Lion is most assuredly the king of animals, if we might 

 judge from its strength and power of destruction. We ai'e 

 amazed when we think of the number of cattle slain by a single 

 representative of this species during a lifetime. The sf)ahi, Jules 

 Gerard, sumamed the Lion-killer, and celebrated for his hunting 

 in Algeria, gives an estimate of 6,000 francs as the value of the 

 Horses, Mules, Oxen, Camels, and Sheep that a single Lion carries 

 off annually from the Arabs. In taking the average duration of 

 his life, which is thirty-five years, each Lion at this rate costs the 

 Arabs 210,000 francs. Jules Gerard adds that from 1856 to 

 1857 sixty Lions have carried off, in the province of Bone only, 

 ten thousand head of cattle, great and small. The quantity of 

 food that this flesh-eater absorbs at a single repast is truly pro- 

 digious : he has been seen to devour the whole of a Heifer at one 

 meal. 



From this it can be understood how cordially the Lion is hated 

 by the people of Algeria, whose whole wealth consists in herds 

 and flocks ; hatred all the more violent, as the Arabs rarely have 

 the courage to expose their lives iu arresting the depredations 

 of their enemy. 



A great number of artifices are employed to destroy Lions. The 

 negroes of the Soudan, as well as the Hottentots, dig a deep pit in 

 the path frequented by the Lion they are desirous of killing. 

 This pit is perfectly concealed by a roofing of branches covered 

 with turf, which gives way on the slightest pressure. On 

 this deceitful ground they fix some kind of bait, either a living 

 Lamb, or a piece of freshly-killed Ox or Horse. The Lion arrives, 

 perceives the bait, springs at it, and falls into the trap. His 

 enemies then approach and worry the victim, now powerless to do 



