136 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. vi. 



following, unless it were half-dressed shortly after it 

 was killed ; thus the size of the animal in no way con- 

 tributes to the continuation of the supply of food, as 

 the meat will not keep. Even snipe killed on one 

 morning are putrid the next evening ; the quantity of 

 game required for the subsistence of one person is 

 consequently very large. 



After killing the deer I stalked a fine peacock, who 

 gave me an hour's work before I could get near him. 

 These birds are very wary and difficult to approach ; 

 but I at length got him into a large bush, surrounded 

 by open ground. A stone thrown into this dislodged 

 him, and he gave me a splendid flying shot at about 

 thirty yards. I bagged him with the two-ounce rifle, 

 but the large ball damaged him terribly. There are 

 few better birds than a Ceylon peafowl, if kept for two 

 days and then washed in vinegar : they combine the 

 flavour of the turkey and the pheasant. 



I was obliged to carry the bird myself, as my two 

 gun-bearers were staggering under the weight of the 

 deer, and the spare guns were carried by my tracker. 

 We were proceeding slowly along, when the tracker, 

 who was in advance, suddenly sprang back and pointed 

 to some object in the path. It was certainly enough 

 to startle any man. An enormous serpent lay coiled 

 in the path. His head was about the size of a very 

 small cocoa-nut, divided lengthways, and this was 

 raised about eighteen inches above the coil. His 



