PIG-STICKING. 29 



snake's head and part of his body with seemingly great gusto. 

 Our little favourite killed a great many cobras, and I think 

 never was bitten. I believe the story of the mungoose 

 eating some herb when bitten to be quite a myth, and that if 

 really struck by the cobra it would die. I believe also that 

 its safety consists in the perfect judgment of the distance the 

 snake can strike. The increase of its apparent size from all 

 his hairs standing out at right angles deceiving the snake, so 

 that the fangs never really touch the body of the mungoose 

 but only the hair. 



People in England often ask "how about snakes when 

 you are out beating for game ? " as if the country was over- 

 run with them. They are certainly met with occasionally, 

 but many of them are harmless. It is surprising how few one 

 does see, and as the sportsman nearly always wears high 

 gaiters to protect him from the thorns and spear grass, he is 

 quite safe from venomous snakes, as they always strike down- 

 wards, and it must be a very large snake to be able to strike 

 a man above the knee. 



HOG-HUNTING. 



I saw very little of what I consider to be the finest sport 

 in the world. I mean hog-hunting, or as it is commonly 

 called pig-sticking. What a pity such a noble sport should 

 be known by such an ignoble title. 



The only hog-hunting I had was at Ahmed-nugger, 

 Satara and Kulladghee. At that time I could only afford to 

 keep one horse as a hunter and in the rough rocky ground 

 a horse was often put " hors de combat." Still I managed 

 to see enough to make me fully appreciate the sport. 



