SNIPE SHOOTING 



fields in the neighbourhood, getting fair sport in fact 

 we accounted for 25 couple between us that afternoon. 

 At one time, ending up a set of paddy fields, narrow, 

 jungle on two sides, village on third side, we found 

 ourselves in a really hot corner and for a few minutes 

 the fun was fast and furious, the birds having all been 

 driven towards that end by our shooting up the fields. 

 When we had finished, Garrick came to me and asked me 

 to find out what his cartridge man, a local Singhalese, had 

 been trying to make him understand, as Garrick did not 

 speak Singhalese and the man knew no Tamil (the 

 " Estate " language). I, from my long residence in Matale 

 and continual working of Singhalese, being fairly at home 

 with the language, asked the man what it was, and, to 

 my surprise, he told me he had tried to point out a 

 leopard to Garrick, just inside the undergrowth at the end 

 of the fields ! Garrick's emotion was too deep for utter- 

 ance. He said the man pointed to something and he 

 thought it was a jackal, whilst it was so near he could 

 have about killed it with No. 8 ! This animal was 

 seen directly after, by another man, crossing a piece of 

 open making for big jungle. It must have been quietly 

 watching us all the time ! 



There is nothing particularly calling for remark in 

 shooting the medium elevation paddy fields in well- 

 populated country, except that, as a rule, the surroundings 

 are such as should appeal to the admiration of anybody 

 not absolutely blind to the beauties of nature ; but in the 

 low country, especially if you happen to hit upon the 

 ploughing time, a perfectly amazing scene of bird life will 

 be presented to your view. Sandpipers of many different 

 species are flying in all directions, uttering their shrill 

 calls, the little " mud " cranes stalking about, here and 



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