SALT LICKS. 173 



rica they commonly go under the name of " saltlicks." 

 Timber generally will not grow in these places, which 

 are much frequented by deer and other animals, and 

 anyone who knows the locality of such spots can 

 generally obtain game by watching them during moon- 

 light nights, or in the early mornings and evenings. 

 Sometimes settlers in the backwoods of America can 

 bring deer to a place by making an artificial " salt 

 lick," by cutting down a pine in winter and placing 

 a block of rock salt beneath it, in localities where deer 

 are known to abound, which are then pretty sure to 

 come and browze on the pine tops, and lick the salt 



In dry countries where water is scarce, and the pools 

 divided from each other by considerable distances, the 

 watching of these lonely desert pools is sometimes the 

 only feasible plan of getting shots at wild and wary 

 beasts, as they go down to water. There are many 

 tracts of practically waterless forest in the dry regions 

 of the earth; it is therefore needless to remind the 

 reader that it would be quite useless to attempt this 

 sort of sport, unless under the guidance of trusty na- 

 tives, who know the whole country intimately. The 

 hunter would be more likely to leave his own bones 

 in these thirst-lands, than to enjoy sport, if he was to 

 unwisely trust himself into such places alone. 



There remains the system of driving ravines and 

 tracts of dry jungle with beaters. Our Indian sporting 

 records are full of descriptions of splendid sport which 

 may frequently be obtained in this way; and the best 

 time for it is generally during the very hottest part 

 of the year, when the vegetation on the plains is entirely 

 desiccated and the game driven into these coverts by 

 the fiery blasts of hot wind, and intense solar heats. 



