330 THE WILDERNESS AND JUNGLE 



immature males of the bison, sambur, spotted 

 deer, antelope, or ibex, and even mature males 

 of sambur and spotted deer may not be shot 

 if they have cast their antlers, or if their ant- 

 lers are in velvet. The Governor in Council 

 has power to fix approved close seasons from 

 time to time, but landowners are at all times 

 allowed to kill any animal that destroys their 

 crops. 



In Ceylon, " elk " (i.e. sambur), spotted deer, 

 and red deer are protected in most of the pro- 

 vinces from June ist to October 3ist, though 

 in the Northern Province the close time is 

 shorter by two months, and in the North- 

 Western Province by one month. No shooting 

 is allowed between sunset and sunrise, and 

 a game licence costs only three and a half 

 rupees. A special licence, costing a hundred 

 rupees, must be taken out to shoot an ele- 

 phant, but no tuskers may be shot. A licence 

 to shoot a buffalo costs twenty-five rupees. 

 This issue of special licences allowing the 

 holder to shoot one particular animal is in 

 general vogue, but it has its drawback, for 

 its tendency is to encourage commercial- 

 minded people to blaze away until they get 

 value for their money. If, on the other hand, 

 the money were payable only by results, at so 

 much for each specimen, the gunner would be 

 more inclined to hold his hand until sure of 



