8 JOURNAL, BOMB AY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



already there, and Chital might be imported as a trial. The actual 

 natives of the Gir are, as might have been expected, practically 

 immune from the fever. The most noticeable class amongst these — 

 are the descendants of men who were originally imported into the 

 country by the Darbar probably to serve as mercenaries, and who 

 intermarried with the natives and settled down in it for good. Many 

 of them are still to be found in the service of the Darbar in the 

 ranks of the police sibaudi, etc. Physically they are a very fine set 

 of men, and some of the best shikaris and trackers in the world. 

 They are the shikaris of the Gir, and no lion shoot is ever under- 

 taken without the services of certain well known men amongst them, 

 being called into requisition. For many years one Hebat of Jam- 

 buda was considered the best man and took the principal part in all 

 the big shoots — but of other younger men, coming on in the same 

 direction, there is no scarcity. So much for the lion country and its 



people. 



As regards the wild beasts to be found in the Gir besides the 

 lion, as far as I am aware it was never the resort of the tiger 

 or the bear and it may be added by the way that it does not hold 

 any description of jungle or spur fowls. Of the undermentioned 

 animals however when I knew the Gir, in its prime, before the last 

 famine, the jungle was practically full, viz : — 



Local vernacular name. 



Panther... ... ... ... ... Dipdo. 



Hytena ... ... ... ... ... Jarak. 



Pig ... ... ... ... ... Soor or Kalajanaiour. 



Sambur ... ... ... ... ... Semhiir. 



Spotted ]Jeer ... ... ... ... Pasu. 



Four-horned Antelope ... ... ... Gnntada. 



Nilgai ... ... ... ... ... Raz. 



Gazelle (in the more open parts) ... Chikara. 



Blackbuck (on the outskirts) Kalyar (doe, reda). 



The local vernacular name of the lion is Saioaz, i.e., one who causes 

 the flocks to bleat. Sometimes but very rarely it is called the Untia 

 vagh obviously from the tact of its colour being somewhat similar to 

 that of a camel. 



In the matter of food, therefore, the lions were well off with the 

 game alone, in addition, they had the swarms of cattle which were 



