HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



there the larger white cranes, or a solitary stately grey 

 heron, and the ubiquitous red-wattled lapwing will be 

 there with his irritating " did-did-did-he-do-it " call. 

 Constantly hovering about overhead are many hawks, 

 kites, brahminy kites, little hawk-eagles, and white-headed 

 fishing eagles, all on the look-out for a chance of food 

 such as frogs, lizards, and snakes, but not disdaining a 

 dead snipe, for I have more than once seen one of these 

 birds of prey, especially the brahminy kite, swoop down and 

 take a snipe the moment it had been shot. Such is the 

 scene which will present itself to the view of the sports- 

 man in the low country, but he will have little time 

 or opportunity to take in its wonders when he once 

 commences to shoot, if the birds are in any way plentiful. 

 However, there is a glorious uncertainty about snipe 

 shooting out here which rather adds to the interest of it. 

 You may find the fields thick with every kind of bird 

 you do not want, but the snipe may be all but absent. 

 Cross a stream, however, or a belt of jungle, into the 

 next set of fields, and, like magic, the scene may change ; 

 the snipe may be there in countless numbers, and your 

 difficulty will be to load and fire fast enough. Your 

 attendant boys will be as busy as possible picking up your 

 birds (always provided you hold a " straight gun "), and 

 a feeling of sweet content will take the place of your pre- 

 vious irritation at the want of game. Mentally you keep 

 your score and wonder how the other fellows are getting 

 on, for, as like as not, you will have a humble rupee 

 sweep on the bag, and also, if you carefully counted your 

 cartridges before setting off, you will like to know your 

 percentage of kills. Now and then you may pick up a 

 " painter," or have the luck to come across a flock of 

 golden plover; or an odd pigeon or two crossing the 



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