Varieties of Game i?i Ccjlon. 27 



Men who understand the sport are not over fond of 

 acting " chaperon" to a young hand, as a novice must 

 always detract from the sport in some degree. In ad- 

 dition to this, many persons do not exactly know them- 

 selves ; and, although the idea of shooting elephants 

 appears very attractive at a distance, the pleasure some- 

 what abates when the sportsman is forced to seek for 

 »afety in a swift pair of heels. 



I shall now proceed to give a description of the 

 various sports in Ceylon — a task for which the con- 

 stant practice of many years has afforded ample inci- 

 dent. 



The game of Ceylon consists of elephants, buffaloes, 

 elk, spotted deer, red or the paddy-field deer,* mouse 

 deer, hogs, bears, leopards, hares, black partridge, red- 

 legged partridge, pea-fowl, jungle-fowl, quail, snipe, 

 ducks, widgeon, teal, golden and several kinds of plover, 

 a great variety of pigeons, and among the class of ver- 

 min are innumerable snakes, etc., and the crocodile. 



The acknowledged sports of Ceylon are elephant- 

 shooting, buffalo-shooting, deer-shooting, elk-hunting, 

 and decr-coursing : the two latter can only be enjoyed 

 by a resident in the island, as of course the sport is depen- 

 dent upon a pack of fine hounds. Although the wild 

 boar is constantly killed, I do not reckon him among 

 the sports of the country, as he is never sought for, 

 death and destruction to the hounds generally being at- 

 tendant upon his capture. The bear and leopard also 

 do not form separate sports ; they are merely killed 

 when met with. 



In giving an account of each kind of sport, I shall 

 explain the habits of each animal and the features of 

 ■ *A small species of deer found in the island. 



