HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



dogs soon found in the tea and I got a shot almost at once, 

 crossing a path, but made a bad miss. Then ensued a long 

 run over the hill to the back of the bungalow and back 

 again into the tea, where I had another long shot which 

 may have tickled "jack" up a bit. Back over the hill it 

 went and into some scrub where it skulked and dodged for 

 a long time, during which a hare broke from the same cover 

 and I bagged it. After several checks, doggedly worked 

 out by Midget who is " death " on jackals, followed by 

 even more vigorous runs on the part of the dogs, the 

 "jack" caved in and bayed in the scrub bordering a path, 

 being held up by Pup and Midget. I was puzzling how 

 to get at it when Magpie ran up, and, going in, caused the 

 "jack" to break bay, driving it out into a path on which 

 I stood. Never seeing me, as I remained perfectly still, the 

 doomed animal loped along the path towards me at a slow 

 trot with hanging head and protruding tongue, meeting an 

 unexpected dose of No. 3 at 15 yards, which finished its 

 career at once. 



I don't think he was actually run down unless hurt by 

 my previous long shot, but he was a sulky beast and had 

 more than once, during the run, turned snarling on the 

 dogs ; but the three of them cowed him and he could 

 not face their frantic clamour and apparent fierceness, 

 though, between ourselves, a determined attack would have 

 sent them flying ! 



The jackal (Canis aureus) is a marauder, and therefore 

 must receive vermin's treatment. They are found all over 

 Ceylon low country, and up to probably 3000 feet elevation. 

 I hear their peculiar long-drawn howls, followed by their 

 equally curious shrill yaps, very often at night, but they 

 are not so numerous now as they were when I first came to 

 Matale. I have never heard their call while camping in the 



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