CHAPTER XVIII 



JUNGLE LORE — Continued 



Local distribution of animals varies with water available — The mon- 

 soon, cold-weather and hot-weather seasons — Forest fires — Flowers of 

 mhowa tree attract bear and deer — Wild dogs and game animals — 

 Crops attract animals — Insect life — Defoliation of teak forests and 

 effect on game — Defoliation of sal forests — Locust invasions — Areas 

 of trees killed out — The big bee in the jungles — Attacks of the bee — 

 Red ant and the sportsman — Red ant's house-building methods — 

 Advice to sportsmen — Wood and bamboo " shot-hole " beetle borers 

 in the bungalow and in furniture — The study of insect life in the 

 jungles — The white ant or termite — ^The white ant heap — Habits — 

 Ant heaps a shelter to sportsmen — The wounded bull bison. 



IN the preceding chapter one aspect of jungle lore has 

 been considered, the habits, idiosyncrasies and atti- 

 tudes of some of the animals of the jungle. A study 

 will show that there are other factors to become 

 acquainted with, some of which have a direct influence 

 on the distribution, or even the presence, of game animals 

 at certain seasons in a locality. 



The most striking illustration is the presence or absence 

 of water. During the monsoon period water is to be found 

 in abundance everywhere, and consequently the animals 

 become widely distributed over a locality. During the 

 ensuing cold weather water is still plentiful in the streams, 

 but in the hot season which follows these streams dry up 

 and even the larger ones may contain but a small trickle. 

 Lakes and tanks also have a greatly diminished water 

 supply. The drying up of the water supplies in common 

 use by the jungle folk has inevitably a very considerable 

 influence on their distribution in a locality. Most of the 

 animals — not all, the little chinkara or gazelle is an excep- 

 tion — require to drink daily. The chital, as has been men- 

 tioned, will drink twice and even thrice a day. A knowledge 

 of the places where water is to be found in the hot season is 



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