APPENDIX 



time (May to September) since I wrote these notes originally, 

 necessitating their re-writing. 



A curious state of things exists in the Southern Province. For 

 some unknown reason the Game Ordinance has never been pro- 

 claimed in the Giruwa Pattu of that province, and only applies to 

 the Magam Pattu. Without going into particulars as to boundaries, 

 it may be roughly said that no Game Ordinance, except as regards 

 pea fowl, is in force west of the Walaweganga, but is in force in the 

 country east of that river. The ways of our Government are often 

 mysterious. 



The only other creatures honoured with a close season are pea 

 fowl, and the dates run as follows : 



Northern Province . 

 North Central Province 

 North-Western Province 

 Eastern Province 

 Western Province 

 Uva Province . 

 Sabaragamuwa Province 

 Southern Province . 



ist November to 3ist March, 

 ist June to 3 ist October, 

 ist July to 3 ist October, 

 ist June to 3 ist October. 

 ist November to 3 ist March, 

 ist June to 3 ist October, 

 ist July to 3 ist October, 

 ist November to 3 ist March. 



The Central Province probably does not contain a single pea 

 fowl, and so seems to have no close season for them. 



The same arrangement about the seasons as regards animals 

 exactly applies to these grand birds. They must drink, and can be 

 slaughtered at water-holes as easily as any other creature. Thus the 

 seasons of the Northern Province and Southern Province are useless 

 for protection for the pea fowl, being open during the drought. The 

 Western Province has no real dry season, as it gets both monsoons, 

 and, besides, probably contains none of these birds. 



The licence to kill game, including pea fowl, costs Rs. 3.50 

 annually, and forbids all shooting between sunset and sunrise, the 

 snaring of game by traps or nets, and the hunting out of game by 

 dog or beaters (this does not apply to registered packs of hounds). 



I do not think anything would be gained by raising the licence 

 to a higher figure to render it more or less prohibitive. Natives of 

 a village would then club together to get one licence, and shoot all 

 the more to reimburse themselves for the extra cost. 



The licence to possess a gun costs Rs. 1.25, and lasts until transfer 

 of the gun, when the new possessor must take out, for a fee of 

 25 cents, a transfer of the licence. This licence, as far as I can 

 make out, holds good in all country districts, but I believe in Colombo 

 and other towns a gun licence costs Rs. 2, and has to be renewed 



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