by natives than formerly. A gun can be had now for a few rupees,
and every loafing 'ne'er do weel' in the village manages to procure
one, and wages indiscriminate warfare on bird and beast. It is a
growing evil, and threatens the total extinction of sport in some
districts. I can remember when nearly every tank was good for a few
brace of mallard, duck, or teal, where never a feather is now to be
seen, save the ubiquitous paddy-bird. Jungles, where a pig was a
certain find, only now contain a measly jackal, and not always that;
and cover in which partridge, quail, and sometimes even florican were
numerous, are now only tenanted by the great ground-owl, or a colony of
field rats. I am far from wishing to limit sport to the European
community. I would let every native that so wished sport his double
barrels or handle his spear with the best of us, but he should follow
and indulge in his sport with reason. The breeding seasons of all
animals should be respected, and there should be no indiscriminate
slaughter of male and female, young and old. Until all true sportsmen
in India unite in this matter, the evil will increase, and bye-and-bye
there will be no animals left to afford sport of any kind.

There are cases where wild animals are so numerous and destructive
that extraordinary measures have to be taken for protection from their
ravages, but these are very rare. I remember having once to wage a war
of extermination against a colony of pigs that had taken possession of
some jungle lands near Maharjnugger, a village on the Koosee. I had a
deal of indigo growing on cleared patches at intervals in the jungles,
and there the pigs would root and revel in spite of watchmen, till at
last I was forced in sheer self-defence to begin a crusade against
them. We got a line of elephants, and two or three friends came to
assist, and in one day, and round one village only, we shot sixty-three
full grown pigs. The villagers must have killed and carried away nearly
double that number of young and wounded. That was a very extreme case,
and in a pure jungle country; but in settled districts like Tirhoot
and Chumparun the weaker sex should always be spared, and a close
season for winged game should be insisted on. To the credit of the
planters be it said, that this necessity is quite recognised; but
every pot-bellied native who can beg, borrow, or steal a gun, or in
any way procure one, is constantly on the look out for a pot shot at
some u