EEVIEW. 



* Sport in Southern India. 



This, the latest addition to the records of Indian Sport, is a large 

 and well-got -up volume, illustrated by many sketches by the author, 

 which shows that he was as great a proficient with his pencil as with 

 the rifle ; moreover the book is very modestly w ritten. Col. Hamilton 

 had an extended Indian service from 1844 to 1870, and being one 

 of the early pioneers of the Forest Department, had exceptional 

 sporting opportunities. The first chapter principally deals with 

 Antelope shooting and such like ; one form of sport, namely, coursing 

 the fauns, does not commend itself. The second chapter is headed 

 "Wolves ; several instances are given of how wolves, before they 

 commence their hunt, seem to settle a plan of campaign, as an 

 instance: — " I saw two wolves ; after about ten minutes or so, the 

 smaller of the two, got up and trotted off to the rocky hills, and suddenly 

 appeared on the ridge running backwards and forwards like a collie 

 dog ; the larger wolf, as soon as he saw that the antelopes were fully 

 occupied in watching his companion, got up and came as hard as he 

 could gallop to the nullah ; unfortunately he caught sight of us and 

 bolted, and his companion, seeing something was wrong, did the same* 

 Now it is evident that these two wolves had regularly planned this 

 attack ; one was to occupy the attention of the antelopes, while the 

 other was to steal up the watercourse and dash into the midst of them. 

 How did they communicate this to each other ? " We have a very 

 graphic description of a mongoose and cobra fight ; after saying that 

 the mongoose erected its hairs till it appeared twice its proper size, 

 and that the cobra appeared to strike it several times, he gives, as an 

 explanation of the latter 's immunity, "Our little favourite killed 

 many cobras, and, I believe, never was bitten. * * 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 stand- 

 ing out at right angles, deceiving the snake, so that the fangs never 

 really touch the body of the mongoose, but only the hair." A few 

 pages are given to Pig- sticking at Ahmednagar, but the author says 

 he saw very little of this sport. We now come to big game shooting ; 



* Records of SrOET iu Southern India, &c., by the late G-encral Hamilton, published 

 by Porter, London. 



