APPENDIX 



annually. I think the cost of gun licences could be very much 

 increased, with advantage. 



Reverting to game licences, a sportsman or shooter is supposed to 

 take out a licence for that particular province he intends to shoot in, 

 but I do not think there is anything in the Ordinance to that effect, 

 so that a Government Agent could, if he liked, issue a " general " 

 licence to shoot game. Licences are procurable at any Kachcheri. 



Coming to special licences, it will cost you Rs. 100 for per- 

 mission to shoot an elephant. (Until a few years ago this licence 

 cost only Rs. 10.) The shooting of a tusker is forbidden under 

 severe penalties, as they are exceedingly rare in Ceylon. Proclaimed 

 " rogues " may be shot without a licence indeed in some cases a 

 reward is offered for their destruction. 



A licence to shoot a buffalo costs Rs. 25, and it is, of course, in 

 the power of the Government Agent to refuse to issue licences in 

 the case of both elephants and buffaloes at his own discretion. 



In my opinion the above special licences should be issued con- 

 ditionally, that is to say, a man should receive permission to kill an 

 elephant, or a buffalo, on condition that he pays the cost of a licence 

 if he shoots at one, and not otherwise. 



My reason for the above opinion is, that if a man pays Rs. 100 

 cash in advance for permission to shoot an elephant, he will simply 

 shoot away until he does kill one, and probably wound half-a-dozen 

 in the attempt. If, on the other hand, he has to pay if he shoots at 

 an elephant, he will use some discrimination, choose an animal worth 

 Rs. 100 by reason of its size or other recommendation, and shoot 

 to kill. There will be no blazing away at all and sundry, and he 

 will refrain from shooting altogether rather than waste Rs. 100 on 

 an undersized animal. The above arguments would certainly apply 

 to any Ceylon man who might go to the expense of an elephant 

 shooting licence. Exactly the same argument applies to the licence 

 for buffalo shooting. 



No doubt a visiting sportsman would be above such comparatively 

 petty considerations, but to a resident man money is usually an 

 important object, and if he decides to risk Rs. 100 or Rs. 25 on a 

 licence, he will like to get his money's worth. Under the conditions 

 I have named he would avoid shooting altogether rather than pay 

 his money for an animal giving no decent trophy, but if he has to 

 pay beforehand, he will shoot anything rather than return empty- 

 handed. 



"Them's my sentiments," anyhow, under present conditions, 

 and I have heard of more than one case to prove my argument. 



Information concerning the game sanctuaries seems fit and meet 



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