HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



land). Once also, when I was watching on the ground 

 by a pool of water in a tank, a hen flew down out of the 

 forest just at dawn, alighting quite near me, so I promptly 

 bagged it, as the hens at least are fair eating, the cocks 

 being very tough. I believe the Hambantota District 

 (Southern Province) is one of the most prolific for these 

 birds, and I have also seen very many along the course 

 of the Maduru Oya in the Eastern Province. 



Mr. M. L. Wilkins contributes the following account 

 of a shoot in the Southern Province : 



" The shot-gun is of little use in the plains, and I have 

 only used it amongst scrub or in abandoned * chenas,' 

 where the birds, if put up, rise at close quarters. For 

 stalking in the plains a light rifle is necessary. My last 

 morning's sport in the Southern Province was rather 

 noteworthy. On my way to the plains I flushed a hen 

 in thick scrub, out of which she rose with a tremendous 

 * whirr ' ; but a dose of No. 4, at about 30 yards, in head 

 and neck settled her. Arriving at the first plain I saw 

 no less than 19 pea fowl scattered over it, at about 

 300 yards' distance, so set off for a stalk under cover 

 of a bank. I disregarded the wind, as I did not believe 

 the native yarn that these birds possess the power of 

 scent; but after a 70 yards' crawl, when I peeped over 

 the ' bund/ not a bird was to be seen ! Half-an-hour's 

 walk brought me to another plain, arrived at which I 

 took care of the wind in my look round for birds. I 

 eventually spotted some on a slab rock out in the open, 

 and had to make a long ddtour to enable me to reach 

 cover for the approach. Arrived at a clump of cactus, 

 I had then no choice but to crawl on hands and knees 

 towards my last bit of cover, a tuft of grass, on reaching 

 which I sat down to recover breath. The birds were quite 



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