696 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. X 



low thorn jungle, rather open than otherwise, principally, but may be seen 

 about the Bhuj Cantonments. The late Lieut. Barnes identified this bird for 

 me in 1893 and asked me to send him some eggs, but I was at home in 1894, 

 and before I could get any for him last year, he had passed away. He had 

 always been most kind in identifying species and eggs for me and in giving 

 me every assistance towards the completion of, or rather additions to, the 

 " Birds of Cutch," which I hope shortly to send to the press. 



C. D. LESTER, Lieutenant. 

 Bhuj, Cutch, August, 1896. 



No. VII.— A PLUCKY INSTANCE OF PANTHER-KILLING BY. 

 KATHIAWAR VILLAGERS. 



My friend Mr. Harrison, of Dwarka, in Kathiawar, sends me the following 

 account of the doing to death of a panther recently in the Okhamandal 

 District : — 



" An exciting and very p ucky case of panther-killing occurred at the 

 village of Nilwasa, a few miles from Dwarka, on 12th March. During the 

 day the panther was seen to take shelter in a small stack of kirbi situated 

 in an open maidan, a few hundred yards to the north of the village. A 

 lot of Wagher tribesmen turned out armed with sticks and surrounded the 

 stack, and after a good deal of bother the beast broke cover, and rushing 

 round to the north side of the stack, flew at a Wagher who happened to 

 be standing there, and seizing him by the throat brought him to the ground. 

 The panther was at once attacked by other Waghers with sticks, and was 

 made to release his hold before he had done any serious damage. He then 

 turned and went for another Wagher who pluckily stood his ground and 

 closed with the panther by seizing it round the body. The two then fell 

 to the ground together. This kind of reception, combined with the shouting 

 and yelling that proceeded from the other Waghers, was too much for the 

 panther, and he released his hold and made tracks for the village, probably 

 with a view to securing fresh shelter. A running fight was kept up for about 

 100 yards, and the brute was unable to evade the blows which his pursuers 

 showered on him with their sticks. At this juncture one of the Waghers, 

 without any regard for his own safety, seized hold of the panther's tail 

 and held on like grim death, thereby retarding his progress. Meanwhile a 

 comrade appeared on the scene, armed with a small axe, and rushing upon the 

 panther dealt him his death-blow by splitting open his skull with it. I 

 visited the scene of the shikar the following morning, and from the appearance 

 of the ground, the tracks, and the Waghers' description of the fight I am. 

 convinced it is quite correct. The skin was brought to me and was that of a 

 full-grown panther, 7 feet long." 



These plucky villagers were rewarded by the Baroda Durbar, and no evil 

 consequences resulted from the wounds and scratches they had received, 

 Baroda. April, 1896. P. Z. COX, Captain. 



