1 74 Leaves from an Indian Jungle. 



game within that radius diminishes and disappears, his 

 influence will be felt still farther afield. I cannot say for' 

 certain, but there are probably more trophy-collecting 

 agencies, like that of Islmaag, in other parts of India. The 

 devastation caused by the marketable value thus placed on 

 heads and skins must be enormous. 



I am afraid that some forest officers will be quite angry 

 with me when I state that, in my opinion, all the laws and 

 regulations they may make, and all the precautions they 

 may take, short of stationing an English gamekeeper at 

 every forest post (and picking their gamekeeper !) will 

 never prevent poaching in reserved forests by the native 

 shikari. It is the gun trade that is at the bottom of all 

 the trouble. Confiscate guns and put a prohibitive tax on 

 powder and caps especially on caps, for nativfe gun- 

 powder is easily produced locally and the root of the 

 trouble will be touched. 



Except in certain localities, where special indulgence 

 might be accorded, cultivators do not suffer much from the 

 depredations of forest game. If the game of India is to 

 be preserved from certain eventual extinction, guns must 

 be taken away and licenses given only in very exceptional 

 cases. The illegal possession of a gun, especially on the 

 .confines of a reserved forest, should be made a very grave 

 offence, and one involving severe punishment. Many of 

 the guns I have seen in the possession of native shikaris 

 have been uncommonly serviceable weapons ( muzzle- 

 loaders on the percussion system), and accurate up to two 

 and three hundred yards very nasty weapons indeed 

 behind a mud wall. The question of suppressing guns is 

 no doubt a difficult one. The Native State of Hyderabad 

 in the Deccan is simply full of guns ; and it is from Hyder- 

 abad that guns are sold and distributed throughout neigh- 



