THE INDIAN POACHER AND HIS WAYS 245 



the country, particularly in the south, to catch sambhar and 

 other deer. The spots chosen for the pits are often on the 

 edge of the cultivated tracts in the neighbourhood of the 

 forest boundary. The pits are usually about four feet deep, 

 narrower at the bottom than the top, with a stout sharp- 

 pointed stake driven firmly into the soil at the bottom, its 

 sharp end projecting upwards. 



Sambhar come out at night to feed on the crops in the 

 fields, retiring to the forests at dawn by one of their 

 accustomed " runs." The animals fall into the prepared 

 pits, becoming impaled on the stake where they remain in 

 agony until the arrival of the inhuman beings who have 

 prepared the trap. 



The Noose. — In the United Provinces large grass nooses 

 are placed in holes in fences in order to catch sambhar as 

 they go in and out when making their nightly foray on the 

 crops. Mr. P. Wyndham records this method and I have 

 seen it practised in other parts of the country. 



The above methods, it will become apparent, have no 

 regard for the sex or age of the animal taken, nor for 

 the season at which it is slaughtered. The Indian poacher 

 counts these points as nothing in spite of the rules in 

 force. 



Spotted Deer or Chital 



Pitfalls. — The pitfall system as described under sambhar 

 is also used to catch the graceful spotted deer. 



The Light and Rings. — The curiosity of the deer tribe is 

 proverbial and advantage of this trait is taken by the 

 native to kill the chital. This beautiful little deer is found 

 in the more open parts of forest lands, as also in the dense 

 jungles in many parts of India. The following methods are 

 in force for trapping it. 



Two men go out at night armed with the following 

 apparatus : a hghted bull's-eye lantern and a bamboo some 

 eighteen inches in length on to which two iron rods, bent 

 to form arcs, are fixed. Six or seven iron rings are slipped 

 on to each rod before it is fixed to the bamboo. 



The men go out at night into an area frequented by chital, 

 and, taking up their position, display the lighted bull's-eye 

 and swing the bamboo gently, causing the rings to run up 

 and down the rods. A curious grating noise is thus produced . 



