1 66 Leaves from an Indian Jungle. 



British sportsman so few in comparison with the wide 

 stretches of game-producing country is not to an appre- 

 ciable extent to blame for the marked falling off in the 

 numbers of its fauna. 



On the other hand, in whichever direction we turn, and 

 however we regard the question, there is abundant evidence 

 that the root of the evil lies in the depredations of native 

 shikaris trappers, snarers, and shooters, but especially 

 shooters. For when we come to sift the means of 

 destruction in the hands of natives, it will be found that 

 trapping, snaring, and the use of bows, arrows, and other 

 rude weapons have existed from time immemorial, whereas 

 the period from which one can place a finger on the marked 

 diminution of game dates from the time when service- 

 able guns became cheap and easy of purchase by native 

 shikaris. 



It is they who are the men on the spot. Their numbers 

 vastly exceed those of sportsmen ; and although in a given 

 space of time one native shikari may kill less than a single 

 Englishman who is out on a shooting excursion, yet the 

 toll taken by the former is a never-ceasing toll. Day in, 

 day out, through all seasons, and from year to year, his 

 hand stays not, and it attacks the fountain-head of animal 

 life females, immature, and young. 



To quote figures obtained from a fairly typical district 

 with which the writer is acquainted, and which is more than 

 half of it hill jungle of a wild character, but where the 

 ways of the native shikari are liable to be more keenly 

 watched than in most localities, it is found from an examin- 

 ation of the returns of Government awards paid for wild 

 animals killed during a period of several years that, where- 

 as 14 tigers, 9 panthers, and u bears were killed by 

 sportsmen, 31 tigers, 52 panthers, and 42 bears were 



