170 
THE LION. 
If, however, what-, tells us be gospel, 
thus to shoot the lion from the c melbida 5 must be a 
somewhat perilous affair, for when speaking of that 
in use w 7 ith the Bedouin Arabs, which, from the 
description, would seem to be very similar to the 
Algerian one he says, 66 Sometimes, however, after 
the beast has been wounded, he throws himself 
upon the c melbida,’ and breaks with his huge claws 
the planks that cover it, and devours the hunter 
whom he finds hidden behind them.” 
The lion is also destroyed in Southern Africa by 
means of the spring-gun, but the manner in which 
this is set differs somewhat. According to Hans, 
an old follower of mine in the desert, and whose 
long experience with wild animals entitles him to be 
looked upon as an authority—the best manner of 
proceeding is as follows : 
“ A circular piece of ground of some extent is 
in the first instance fenced in with thorn-bushes, 
leaving one or more narrow openings for the admis¬ 
sion of the lion. The bait—in preference the animal 
he himself has killed—is laid in the middle of the 
little enclosure in question. At the side of each of 
the openings in the fence a gun is placed cross¬ 
wise. The string attached to the trigger, after 
having been passed across the opening, and fastened 
to a tree or bush on the opposite side, should be 
somewhat slack. The best way of ascertaining its 
proper tension is to put it back with the hand until 
both ends are opposite the elbow. With regard to 
the height of the gun above the ground, measure 
the distance that your thumb and middle finger 
