HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



districts, when that peculiar plant the "nellu" flowers 

 (about once in seven to ten years), the jungle fowl as- 

 semble in great numbers to feed on the seed, and 

 as they seem to get a bit " silly " over it, they are then 

 easily shot. Another bird, worth shooting for the trophy 

 he carries, is the crowned hornbiil (Anthracoceros coro- 

 natus). This fine bird frequents remote low country 

 forests, alighting only in the tops of the highest trees, 

 and is very wary and difficult of approach. Their 

 extraordinary grating, harsh calls and croaks may be 

 heard at a great distance. A detailed description of these 

 birds is not necessary once seen, they cannot be mistaken, 

 with their huge toucan-like bills crowned by a high horny 

 ridge, the bill being 6 or 7 inches long or more, and the 

 ridge, or casque, extending about half-way along the same, 

 bill and casque being quite 4 inches in height together. The 

 colour of the bird is black, with white tips to the [wings ; 

 and the whole under portions, from the breast to end of 

 the tail, white. A light rifle would be handy for secur- 

 ing specimens as it is seldom possible to get within shot- 

 gun distance, though I have bagged one or two myself 

 with a shot-gun. 



There is a smaller hornbiil (Tockus gingulensis) peculiar 

 to Ceylon, but which has not the casque on the upper 

 mandible, nor is the bird more than half the size of the 

 crowned hornbiil. It also frequents lower jungle and 

 may often be seen flying across your path, but is not worth 

 shooting as a trophy unless you are a collector. 



We now come to those truly regal birds, the pea fowl 

 (Pavo cristatus). No need for any description of these birds, 

 known the world over. They are frequenters of the dry 

 low country of Ceylon, the south of the Southern Province, 

 most of the Eastern Province, fairly common in the North 



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