352 
MAMMALIA. 
injury, and shoot him down at their leisure from the border of 
the pit, at the bottom of which he crouches in mournful silence, 
and with a calmness full of dignity. 
The Arabs often excavate this cavity in the interior of the 
douar (a collection of tents) ; the locality allows them to dispense 
with the ingenious contrivance for concealment, and still further 
assures the success of the artifice. When the nocturnal marauder 
clears the hedge that surrounds the village, he tumbles into 
this gaping hole, to remain a prisoner till his captives choose ! 
to slay him. His imprisonment is announced to the neighbour- 
ing villages with frantic cheers and rejoicings of every descrip- | 
tion. Men, women, and children all rush to contemplate the | 
unfortunate brute, and shower upon it derisive epithets, and 
volleys of stones. 
Destroying it by concealment in underground places, or on 
a tree, is tolerably free from danger. In the first method, three or j 1 
or four men hide themselves in a hole about three feet deep 
on the margin of a path frequented by their prey. The roof is i: 
covered with heavy stones and earth ; narrow openings are made 
in the sides, in order to see what may be passing without, and on 
which to rest their fire-arms ; lastly, a lure is placed in front of 
this sanctuary to induce the Lion to stop, which if he does a 
volley of bullets is his welcome. It is rare that he falls dead 
immediately, but springs towards the ambush, hoping to find the , 
foe ; but the construction is too strong to permit him to enter, 
and he staggers off, probably to die in his den. 
At other times, the hunters conceal themselves in a tree, to I 
which they even add more branches to make a more secure ; 
hiding-place. From this post they operate in precisely the same 
manner as in the subterranean plan. 
These two methods are those principally in vogue among the 
Arabs. 
But the caution of the Lion often defeats these artifices ; so. that 
he can only be destroyed by attacking him when opportunity j 
offers. A number of horsemen, accompanied by vigorous Dogs, 
meet together and scour the woods to which he resorts, and by 
different means force him out on the plain. If the animal shows 
fight under these conditions he is lost. The hunters successively 
ply him with bullets, or fly at speed out of his reach; when, 
