306 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



like to carry away little mementoes of the ' fine sport they 

 have enjoyed in this country.' 



" On inquiry I discovered that the self-same ' Ishnaag ' 

 referred to in that article furnishes most of these sporting 

 trophies. 



" I inquired the price of one fairly good sdmbar head 

 execrably set up by the way, and a mere caricature of 

 poor old Cervus unicolor and was informed that it was 

 Rs. 250. 



" Kindly compare the following : 



Rs. 



Native shikdrts price for above head . . 6 



Ishnaag's price . . . . 100 



Co-operative society's price . . .250 



" Now, if this sort of trophy-collecting is to continue 

 unchecked, why should not I and other sportsmen enter 

 the arena in competition, shoot all the undersized game 

 we come across, stuff the heads ourselves (I'll turn out a 

 better sambar than Ishnaag any day), and sell direct to 

 globe-trotters and others ? 



"Commercially considered, this would be a profession 

 far superior to those in which many of us are at present 

 engaged." 



The result of these disclosures was at first very gratify- 

 ing. Complaints of a similar nature, and letters discuss- 

 ing the destruction of game, poured in from sportsmen in 

 all parts of India ; numerous preventive measures were 

 mooted ; and, later, a notice was circulated, inviting sports- 

 men to give their views on the following lines : 



(1) General observations on the destruction of game. 



(2) Any information you may have precise or approxi- 



mate estimates any instances you can give thereof, 



(3) The cause. 



