CHAPTER XII 
NOTES ON THE FAUNA 
OF SOMALILAND 
THE Lion (felts leo) 
Native name, Libah 
LION-SHOOTING involves long 
halts of several days among 
the Somali karias, with 
crowds of natives continu- 
ally standing round camp, 
the dust from the countless 
camels and sheep filling the 
air and covering the bushes. 
Under these circumstances 
it will be understood that 
other game is scarce, and that sitting unoccupied in camp wait- 
ing for news of a lion is not always interesting. Frequently 
the news brought in of lions having visited karias two or three 
niles away, taking a sheep or a heifer, or a young camel, as the 
case may be, is unreliable. Yet the hunter must be ready to 
start on the instant, and after a tramp lasting from five to ten 
hours, he will return as often as not to his tent tired out, the 
victim of a silly hoax concocted for the purpose of wheedling 
bakshish out of him. 
Every few days one of these trips will probably end in a 
real find, and then grand excitement will be felt in creeping 
among the tunnels made by the dark khansa bushes, looking for 
the crouching enemy, which may spring up from any distance 
ate 
Gilaiye, 
i 
