194 



DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



of the sal forest jutting out here and there into the beautiful 

 green plain. These open, grassy areas are common in the 

 jungles in this district and are burnt annually by the Forest 

 Department Officials to prevent danger of accidental fires 

 originating in the high grass, with which they become 

 densely covered in the rains, and spreading into the adjacent 

 valuable forest tracts. It is almost needless to state that 

 they formed ideal areas in which to search for game. 



We moved along noiselessly as I was wearing rope-soled 

 boots which, with practice, permit of a quiet progression. 

 A Gurkha out hunting is always noiseless. On our way to 

 the grassy area we kept our eyes and ears wide open for sight 

 or sound of animals, but saw and heard nothing. We were 

 walking in Indian file. As we approached the savannah the 



trees opened out in front, but the tall grass was still too 

 thick to see through until we reached the extreme edge. I 

 then sank down silently, the havildah following suit and 

 dropping in his tracks. He crawled forward and we looked 

 out on to the plain-like expanse in front of us. 



About fifty yards distant a small herd of chital were 

 grazing. These animals had evidently issued from a small 

 piece of forest which jutted out some distance into the 

 plain on our right hand. Others were closer to the forest, 

 whilst the rustle of leaves and the cracking of a twig now 

 and then showed that some individuals of the herd were 

 still inside. 



At the time I write of these animals, together with 

 sambhar, hogdeer, and swamp deer or barasingha, were 



