TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



Partridge, both grey and painted, grey and rain quail, 

 sand grouse, florikin, bustard, hares, etc., are all fairly 

 common in the Bombay Presidency ; and in Sind is also 

 found the black partridge. With regard to the grey quail, 

 a good morning's work should easily account for fifty 

 brace or more to each gun, but these birds being migratory, 

 much depends on the season. In some years, they actually 

 swarm, and in others they prove comparatively scarce. 



The ordinary Indian quail is about the size of the English 

 bird, the tips of the wings {primaries) being marked with 

 dark bars. The hen birds have not the dark brown bands 

 or collar on the throat which distinguish the cocks. 



Full charges of powder are not necessary for these 

 birds, rising as they mostly do close to the gun, and of shot 

 Nos. 8 or 9 are the most effective. I always loaded my 

 own cartridges as being more economical than buying them 

 ready loaded, and economy becomes a consideration when 

 one hundred or more cartridges are used in a morning's 

 shoot. 



I have invariably used a 20-bore, finding it lighter and 

 handier than a 12-bore, for small-game shooting ; though, 

 doubtless, it requires to be held somewhat straighter than a 

 larger bore. 



Quail fly extremely swiftly, with a delightful whirring 

 noise and an awkward twisting flight. Both quail and 

 partridge can be shot to a dog, and I have often had good 

 sport with a steady spaniel, but shooting with dogs in India 

 is risky work, as they are sure to come to grief in time, either 

 from sunstroke, snake bite or alligators. 



The little rain quail which usually comes in soon after 

 the monsoon has burst, are smaller than the grey quail ; 

 the cocks are prettily marked with black crests covered 

 with small spots. 



The jungle bush quail, another variety, is not worth 

 shooting. They are very common, and have a habit of 

 hiding very close in thick bush or patch of grass, and on 

 being approached, of suddenly whirring off in all directions, 

 with startling effects to a novice, especially if he should 

 happen to be following up a wounded tiger at the time ! 



The francolin, or painted partridge, is fairly common, 

 and will often be put up singly, generally followed by its 

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