244 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



number of elephant pits used to be kept up, in which 

 many of the animals were caught annualh^ A very high 

 percentage of the elephants so trapped died as a result of 

 this barbarous method of securing them. In fact it may be 

 said that as a general rule only the smaller animals on whom 

 the shock of the fall was not so severe survived. Another 

 cause of the high mortality was due to the inefficient super- 

 vision maintained over the pits by the jungle-men who were 

 responsible for watching them and carrying information to 

 the elephant-men. Owing to this carelessness many of the 

 elephants so trapped died of starvation. 



Both the Commissariat and Forest Departments in 

 former days used the pit method to trap elephants, with the 

 indifferent success which might be expected from such a 

 practice when the great weight of the animal it was sought 

 to trap is taken into consideration. The method has been 

 given up, but in Mysore and Travancore Native States it 

 was in force till lately, if it is not still in use. 



In Mysore, for the sake of catching a few elephants 

 annually to be utilized for State purposes, scores of animals 

 are, or were, killed by this most cruel and barbarous plan. 



Bison 



Pitfalls.— Many other animals besides elephants fall into 

 the pits which are primarily dug to secure the larger animal. 

 Bison, boars, sambhar and other deer, are often the victims 

 of the pitfall system. These animals, when found in the 

 pits, are killed and eaten by the jungle-men. In fact it is 

 the hope of obtaining the flesh of these animals incarcerated 

 by bad fortune in the pits which forms the strongest induce- 

 ment to the jungle-men to maintain an efficient watch over 

 their charge. I have heard it said on good authority that in 

 the past considerable numbers of bison were annually killed 

 through falhng into elephant pits and that these latter 

 alone have led to a decrease in the numbers of this fine 

 animal. In the interests of the preservation of this species, 

 if we omit the question of cruelty, the pitfall system should 

 be rigidly put down throughout India. 



Cattle grazing in the forests also fall into the pits, sus- 

 taining broken limbs or backs. 



Sambhar 

 pitfalls, — Pitfalls are also specially dug in some parts of 



