SPORT AND NATURAL HISTORY IN NORTHERN GUJARAT. 339 
these species in whatever direction he wished. Leading a camel,and walking in 
a circle, he would leave the guns behind any convenient bush, and then pro- 
ceed till he got to the far side of the game. He would then begin to walk in 
a zigzag direction towards the guns, driving the birds, which would almost in- 
variably fly overhead well within shot, Imuch preferred this way of shoot- 
ing them to the usual method of shooting from the back of acamel, Florican 
are fairly numerous at the beginning of the rains. I always have some 
qualms of conscience about shooting both Florican and Rain Quail at this 
season, but one is glad of a change from inferior mutton and bazaar murghi, 
and I fear that it is with me as with many others a case of— 
“Video meliora proboque, deteriora sequor,”’ 
Of Sandgrouse we usually get only two kinds in the immediate vicinity of 
Deesa, viz., the Common and the Painted, But during the past cold weather, 
the large Sandgrouse appeared in considerable numbers, and a good many 
were shot, Peafowl of course swarm, but are considered sacred, Jungle and 
Spur Fowl are pretty common at the foot of the hills. The Grey and 
Painted Partridge are both fairly abundant, and six kinds of Quail may be 
obtained, though, from the sportsman’s point of view, only the Grey and 
Rain Quail are worth taking mto consideration. The former appear in 
countless thousands in September ; large numbers remain till the end of 
October, when most of them apparently go south ; they reappear about the 
end of December, and from that time to the middle of March one can gene- 
rally succeed in obtaining a fair bag. The Rain Quail appear from about the 
middle of June, and are plentiful enough till the end of July. After this 
time they are not so much en evidence, as the grass has become fairly high by 
the beginning of August, and they are thus able to breed unmolested, so far 
as their human enemies are concerned. 
Deesa can scarcely be considered a good locality for Duck, as there is no 
large tank within fifteen miles. I have, however, seen or shot fifteen different 
kinds of Duck and Teal in the neighbourhood, chiefly during the past season, 
As regards Snipe, the best ground is some distance from Deesa, and here, two 
seasons ago, a sporting and popular doctor shot over a hundred couple to 
his own gun in a day. Such a day’s sport is of course exceptional, but 
it shows what may be done under favourable circumstances. 
A few Rails, which I have not taken the trouble to identify, complete the 
list of game birds. 
The cold weather of 1899-1900 has, owing to the famine, been an 
abnormal one on this side of India, Most of the usual migratory birds 
bave scarcely appeared at all, or have come in greatly diminished 
numbers, and birds of prey have consequently been much fewer than 
usual. I have not seen a dozen Grey Quail during the whole of the cold 
weather. Duck and Snipe, however, which in ordinary seasons are few and 
far between in the immediate neighbourhood of Deesa, have frequented 
