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SPORT AND NATURAL HISTORY IN NORTHERN GUJARAT. 
By Carr, C, G. Nursz, 13rH Bompay Inrantry. 
During the past three years, with the exception of.some eight months spent 
in the Panjab during the Tirah expedition, my head-quarters have been at 
Deesa, and it may, perhaps, interest others if I give a short account of the 
sport and natural history of this delightfully sunny spot, During the months 
of December, January and February only is the climate pleasant; in the 
hot weather, i.e., from March to June, and again in October and November, 
one is baked, and during the rains one is boiled. But, hotas it is,I personal- 
ly much prefer the dry heat, which rises sometimes during the hot weather 
to 120°, to the moist and enervating climate of Bombay. The life has some 
compensations, There issmall game shooting of some kind or other during 
most of the year, the country round is admirable for riding, and there is 
big game shooting to be obtained within reasonable distance. 
I will begin with the Mammalia, The only monkey we see in a wild state 
isthe common Langur, and it is not nearly so numerous here as it is near 
Ahmedabad, where it is a perfect nuisance, The Lion has of course long aco 
disappeared from this neighbourhood ; the last was, I believe, killed in 1878 
near the village of Bhoyen, about two miles from Deesa, The larger Felidae 
bave been more than usually numerous this year ; the famine has driven all 
the animals, both wild and domesticated, towards the streams, there being 
no grazing elsewhere, and Tigers and Panthers have naturally followed them, 
Of the smaller Felide, the Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) is common, I have 
Several times set a trap in the hope of getting the Indian Desert Cat (Felis: 
ornaia) but without success, as the specimens caught have always belonged 
to the former species, The Mungoose is, of course, abundant, I fancy there 
are two kinds, but I never killed one for identification. 
Tke Wolf is common, and I have seen them within three miles of Canton- 
ments, Jackals of course swarm, and, thanks to a sporting Colonel of Native 
Cavalry, who imported several foxhounds and beagles, have shown 
us good sport. Two kinds of Foxes occur, one with a black tip 
to its tail (Vulpes bengalensis), and one with a white tip (Vulpes leucopus), and. 
both have given good runs occasionally, The Otter is fairly common ; I once 
saw a whole family at Malana tank, about 18 miles from Deesa; there were 
seven or eight altogether, and they jumped into the water one after the other, 
so I had a good view of them. The Indian Sloth Bear of course occurs in 
the wooded country towards Mount Abu, Hedgehogs are common, but I 
faney they all belong to one species. I once caught a specimen, and wanted 
to identify it. He, however, refused to unroll, so I chloroformed him, and 
finding him to be the common Erinaceus pictus, gave him his freedom as soon 
as he got over the effects of the anxsthetic, 
Mr. Wroughton’s recent interesting paper on Bats in the Society’s Journal 
makes me wish that I had paid some attention to these interesting mammals. 
