THE PIT-FALL. 
171 
will span above the knee. When the gun is level 
with this, and the string adjusted as above, the ball 
will penetrate the lion’s heart.” 
As regards South Africa, at least, the lion is 
seldom or never taken in the pit-fall. That these 
beasts occasionally find their way into such as are 
intended for the giraffe, and other large game, is 
true, but by the aid of their claws they would 
invariably seem to dig themselves out. 
Au amusing incident of this kind occurred near to 
the place where my friend, Frederick Green, had on 
one occasion unyoked.” The lion found himself 
engulphed in the one compartment of a double pit- 
fall , (similar to that into which I myself and my 
horse—as elsewhere related—were one fine day pre- 
cipated), whilst in the other compartment was an 
ostrich. But in this case the beast took the matter 
very coolly—for it was not until he had devoured 
the greater part of his fellow-prisoner that he took 
the trouble to extricate himself from the toils. 
Delegorgue again testifies to the inutility of the pit- 
fall, of such at least as are in use in Southern Africa, 
for the capture of the lion. ce On one occasion,” 
he writes, “ we found two of these devices in near 
proximity to each other. In the one was a young 
pallah, living and unhurt, which bounded so high 
on seeing us that we could touch its head with our 
hands, notwithstanding the abyss was fifteen feet in 
depth. On the brink of the other, which was empty, 
were visible traces of a large lion that had assuredly 
taken possessien of another pallah.” 
But in Northern Africa—in Algeria—the lion, 
