NOTES. 109 



13. Destruction of Deer. — I desire to bring to the notice of all 

 interested in sport and in the beautiful wild animals of Ceylon the 

 heartless destruction of deer in the Island. Recently, when on an 

 extended tour in the western part of the Island, I stopped at 

 Wellawaya and Telulla for some time, and regretfully noticed the 

 terrible slaughter of the deer at the time of close season for 

 sport. Every cart coming from Hambantota way had deer skins, 

 especially the spotted deer {Cervus axis), hanging out, and venison 

 was usually procurable. Every night I heard the report of guns in 

 the Jungle close by, and knew too well that that usually meant a 

 deer wounded or killed. 



The villagers take advantage of the condition of the female deer 

 during the close season to kill them. Tlais fact can be borne out 

 by a weD-known sportsman who was staying at the resthouses 

 mentioned above about the same time as myself. This gentleman, 

 on tracking some villagers in the jungle, discovered the uterus of a 

 doer containing a live fawn, which would probably have been born 

 in a few days. A little further in the jungle he found bags of 

 venison hidden away. 



I noticed on several occasions during my tour in Uva in September 

 male deer wandering alone, which to my mind tends to prove that a 

 good many of the females with the young had fallen victims to the 

 guns of the villagers. I may mention that* it is a common sight to 

 see villagers wandering with guns. 



The game laws, I may mention, are practically a dead letter. The 

 sportsman who probably would be content with the head of a male 

 deer as a trophy is debarred from shooting during the close season, 

 but villagers, actuated by commercial or selfish motives, shoot what 

 they will with impunity, sparing neither male nor female, old or 

 young. 



I write purely in the interest of the Ceylon fauna, and trust this 

 note may attract attention, and that greater vigilance may be ensured 

 for the protection of the wild animals, and of deer in particular. 

 I feel sure that unless the latter are protected they will not take long 

 to be extin,ct. 



December 16, 1907. JOSEPH A. DANIEL. 



14. Further Note on the Birds of Dimbula. — In sending in 

 the original list I was a little doubtful about inserting Ward's 

 Groimd Tlirush* {Geocichla wardi), but on January 17, 1908, I was 

 able to shoot both male and female and to send the specimens in 

 first class condition to the Museum (see figure). 



* Jerdon called it Ward's Pied Blackbird. 

 Q 7(2)08 



