Deer- Coursing. 31 



England, only one of which survived a few months' 

 hunting. 



The hound required for elk-hunting is a cross between 

 the fox-hound and blood-hound, of great size and 

 courage, with as powerful a voice as possible. He 

 should be trained to this sport from a puppy, and his 

 natural sagacity soon teaches him not to open unless 

 upon a hot scent, or about two hundred yards from his 

 game ; thus the elk is not disturbed until the hound is 

 at full speed upon his scent, and he seldom gets a long 

 start. Fifteen couple of such hounds in full cry put 

 him at his best pace, which is always tried to the utter- 

 most by a couple or two of fast and pitiless lurchers 

 who run ahead of the pack, the object being to press 

 him at first starting, so as to blow him at the very com- 

 mencement : this is easily effected, as he is full of food, 

 and it is his nature always to take off straight up the 

 hill when first disturbed. When blown he strikes down 

 hill, and makes at great speed for the largest and deep- 

 est stream ; in this he turns to bay, and tries the mettle 

 of the finest hounds. 



The great enemy to a pack is the leopard. He 

 pounces from the branch of a tree upon a stray hound, 

 and soon finishes him, unless of great size and courage, 

 in which case the cowardly brute is soon beaten off. 

 This forms another reason for the choice of large 

 hounds. 



The next sport is the " deer-coursing." This is one 

 of the most delightful kinds of sport iif Ceylon. The 

 game is the axis or spotted deer, and the open plains 

 in many parts of the low country afford splendid ground 

 for both grayhound and horse. 



The buck is about two hundred and fifty pounds live 



