HUNTING AND SHOOTING 

 IN CEYLON 



CHAPTER I 



SNIPE SHOOTING 



EVERY sportsman in the world must have heard of the 

 glorious snipe shooting to be had in the East, and very 

 naturally resident sportsmen, or visitors, turn their atten- 

 tion to that branch of sport first of all. Ceylon, during 

 the season, will certainly rank high as a snipe country, and 

 in a good year some very fine bags can be secured by a 

 good shot, in paddy fields or swamps, or round the low- 

 country irrigation tanks. 



A vast amount of energy (not to mention thousands 

 of cartridges) is expended in pursuit of this tiny game- 

 bird ; and I suppose the desire for its pursuit is induced by 

 its sporting flight, plus its excellence as a table bird. Many 

 men I know out here care nothing about any other branch 

 of shooting, devoting their whole energies and spare time 

 to snipe such is the strong attraction of this branch of 

 sport and, it must be admitted, in a good snipe ground 

 the fun is fast and furious while it lasts. 



As there are more kinds of snipe to be occasionally met 

 with out here than one, the following description of the 

 various birds, culled from Captain Legge's grand work, 



I A 



