795 



PHEASANT SHOOTING ROUND ABOUT HILL STATKWS 



IN NORTH bJRN INDIA. 



BY 



'* Pine Marten." 



Most ot the Iiill stations of Northern India are situated on the 

 lower ranges of the Himalayas, the elevation varying from 6,000 to 

 9,000 feet. It is the lot of many of ns in the Punjab to gather 

 together our belongings at the advent of the hot weather, and having 

 sorted them a bit, pack up a certain portion and track to the hills 

 there to remain for from 5 to 7 months. This exodus from the plains 

 is looked upon with mingled feelings; some think they are in for 

 a bad time and mean to just exist, as far as any sort of amusement is 

 concerned until the next cold weather, when they will be able to 

 return to polo, races, gymkhana, etc. ; others mean to enjoy the 

 various diversions there are to be had near at hand in the station 

 itself. A few having to go to a hill station instead of getting leave 

 and roaming in or beyond Kashmir on shikar intent make up their 

 minds to take full advantage of anything that may be had in the 

 way of shikar in their neighbourhood. In hill shooting near a 

 station you will not get much unless you take every advantage of 

 information and go out and prospect yourself before the shooting 

 season commences. In one station there may be only chukor to be 

 shot, but at others there may be a mu<di greater variety, such as 

 leopard, black bear, gooral, karker ( " kukur " as the natives call him), 

 pig (there will probably l,e no rideable country within 20 miles at 

 least) of Pine Marten, whose skins are excellent, if you get at them 

 directly you arrive on the hills in April and again October, kalij 

 and koklass pheasants, and in a few places the beautiful " Moonal " 

 pheasiint called by the natives " Leveet," last but by no means least 

 the ubiquitous chukor, the most sporting of the whole lot. I have 

 also shot the true English wood-pigeon* and woodcock, the former I 

 imagine only a winter visitor. 1 taw one kept in a cage by natives as 

 a pet. 



Of the above category the pheasants only are of present interest, so 

 I will first give a brief description of the birds or rather of the kalij 



• The troe " English wood pigeon " Columba pilutnbun, is replaced in the Himalayas by 

 «he Eastero VVoodpigeca, Columbu eas'.olis-Em. 



