216 



ON THE EXISTING " CLOSE TIME " FOR BIRDS AND ANIMALS 

 IN THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. 



BY 



J. E. C. Jukes, I.C.S. 



I have been asked to put on paper, for the benefit of readers of the Journal, 

 a brief note on the subject of the existing regulations prescribing a '" close 

 time " for game animals and wild birds in the Bombay Presidency. We have, 

 at present, two sets of rules. One set has been issued under the Indian Forest 

 Act, and applies only to areas included in Reserved and Protected Forest. 

 The other set is an offspring of the Wild Birds Protection Act, and concerns 

 only the boundaries of municipalities and cantonments. The Forest regula- 

 tions are universal, and apply to all Protected and Reserved Forests in the 

 Presidency ; but rules under the Wild Birds Protection Act are framed by the 

 local bodies concerned, and vary with the conditions of localities and the 

 fancies of issuing authorities. There are still municipalities which have adopted 

 no rules under the Act. 



To deal first with the rules under the Forest Act. These prescribe no close 

 time for any quadruped except the hare, though they prohibit the wounding 

 or killing of females of deer, antelope and bison at all time, and the taking, 

 wounding or killing of any big game, except certain specified beasts of prey, 

 over water or salt-licks. In the case of the hare and of certain species of game 

 birds, a definite close time is laid down, within which wounding or killing is 

 forbidden. The appended list shows the protected species and the breeding 

 season ascribed to each of them. 



Sand -grouse < 



Pea- fowl 

 Jungle-fowl 



Spur-fowl \ 



Partridge 



< 



Pterocles fasciatus 

 Pteroclurus exustus 

 .. Pavo cristatus ... 

 .. Gallus sonneratti 

 ( Galloperdix spadicea 

 I Galloperdix lunulata 

 C Francolinus vulgaris 

 J Francolinus pictus 



] 



} 



Ortijgornis or Francolinus pon 

 {_ dicer ianus. 

 .. Coturnix coromandelica 

 f Perdicula argoondah or argoon 

 da. 



Perdicula asiatica 

 (^ Microperdix erythrorJiynchus ., 

 f Turnix pugnax ... 

 Bustard-quail ■{ Turnix gondera or tanld 

 t Turnix dussumieri 



Rain-quail 



Bush-quail 



I 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



do. 



do. 



do. 



do. 



do. 



