MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 239 



As to lions, they probably did occur in Kutch, not very long — about 80 

 or 85 years ago. It has been stated in some books on Sport and Natural 

 History that they were found in Kutch and there are different spots in the 

 Province known by such names as " Lion's Hill," " Lion's Cave," etc. Also 

 some of the old inhabitants assert that they have heard of instances, 

 though rare, of lions having been met with in former times. I questioned 

 an old Rajput, whom I saw in the districts and who had been keen on 

 shikar in the days of his j^outh, if he had seen a Lion. This man replied 

 that he never saw one himself but that he had known people who had. So, 

 on the whole, there appears to be sufficient evidence to conclude that 

 lions did occur in Kutch at one time, as they did in Gujarat and in other 

 parts of Kathiawar, besides the Gir. In Kutch the common term " Sinh " 

 is used for both the lion as well as the tiger, but it is more probable that 

 the animals which, there is reason to believe, existed in Kutch were lions 

 than that they were tigers. 



R. K. 



Bhuj, IQth March 1911. 



P. S. — After I sent my note, dated the 10th March last, my attention 

 has been drawn by Mr. J. H. Smith to the following note in a book 

 (Memoir on the Geology of Kutch). 



'•' Lieutenant Dodd saya that Burns, writing in or about the year 1830, 

 mentioned lions, bears, tigers and wolves as to be found north of Bhooj . 

 none except the latter being now visible ; but that a solitary lion was shot 

 on the Runn near Bela, supposed to have wandered from Kattiwar." 



R. K. 



Bhuj, nth July 1911. 



No. VII.— THE BIRTH OF A WILD ELEPHANT CALF. 



On Christmas day 1910 my camp was at Kyoukpazat on the Phatashin 

 stream in the Henzada District. Mr. E. V. Ellis, Deputy Conservator of 

 Forests, had come over to spend the Christmas holidays with us and to do 

 a little shooting. During the early hours of the morning we heard wild 

 elephants trumpeting and making a great noise up the Phatashin stream 

 and not more than a mile or so from camp, and when we started the first 

 beat of the morning the elephants were in a little valley just below the 

 spur on which the guns were posted. The beat proved a blank, for nothing 

 came out, and although the beaters made a fiendish noise the elephants 

 did not make off. The next beat was on the next spur and again the 

 elephants were just behind us. This beat was also a blank. Whilst the 

 beat was coming along I noticed that the beaters seemed very excited 

 and kept on saying to one another "let's catch it after the beat." Sa 



