PEA FOWL 



unalarmed, and feeding towards me ; so| at about 80 yards 

 I fired at the cock with my .256 Mannlicher, dropping 

 him in his tracks. The flock scattered, but I was lucky 

 enough to pick out a young cock at about 100 yards 

 before they finally disappeared. On my way back to camp 

 I sighted a fine cock in an open plain, but he got sus- 

 picious and stalked off among some scrub and boulders. 

 I thought my chance of a shot was gone, but looking 

 round I saw my tracker making a flank movement to 

 get the bird between him and me, so I * effaced ' myself 

 behind a cactus and loaded the rifle with a solid. Pre- 

 sently the cock appeared stalking solemnly along, sus- 

 picious, but not yet frightened, so waiting until he began 

 to cross a small piece of open I dropped him at once, 

 to my great satisfaction a good finish to an excellent 

 morning's sport." 



There is a close season for pea fowl in each province, 

 more or less useless and disregarded, like the rest of our 

 game laws, by the natives. 



75 



