HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



all that, I should think two rifle-shots will represent all the 

 shooting he will get on his trip ! 



Personally I am not such a self-denying one, and I con- 

 fess I feel almost as much pride, pleasure, and excitement 

 in successfully stalking and bagging a buck with a poor 

 head as ever I do over a really good one. My pleasure is 

 in the hunt, and, though a good trophy is a thing of joy, 

 I have nearly equal pride in a poorer one if it entailed a 

 good stalk and a good shot. 



The best time for shooting spotted deer is from 

 November to the end of February. I think January and 

 February the best months, because during November and 

 December the deer are so worried and maddened by the 

 attacks of an abominable grey-coloured fly that they stick to 

 dense cover and do not come out much. This fly is the same, 

 I believe, which worries the elephants and other animals. 

 It is about the size of a horse-fly, wings included, but 

 not so large in the body. The wings are dull grey and 

 meet, when folded, along their inner edge, sloping thence to 

 each side like a roof over the abominable insect's body, 

 which they completely cover. It has a horribly painful 

 bite, but luckily is very frail, I might say brittle, for a 

 very slight blow breaks it all to pieces, which is some 

 comfort. 



Deer in the open are simply maddened by them, and 

 after shaking themselves, scratching with their hind hoofs, 

 and violently shaking their heads, they make hopeless little 

 runs of a few yards to try and rid themselves of the pests, 

 but in vain. 



Every deer, or indeed any jungle animal you may slay, 

 will be found simply infested with ticks of all sorts and 

 sizes, and care should be taken not to have your skins too 

 near camp until they are all off. Apart from these pests, 



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