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 by 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 affords 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 are 
amazed when we think of the number of cattle slain by a single 
representative of this species during a lifetime. The spahi, Jules 
Gerard, surnamed 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 in 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 power] ess to do 
