ox GAME niOTECTIOX IX IXDIA. 23 



3. Game Sanctuaries and Game Protection in India. 

 By E. P. Stebbing, F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.R.G.S. 



[Received June 6, 1911 : Read October 24, 1911.] 



I. Introductory Remarks. 

 C'oulil some of the great sportsmen who lived and revelled in 

 the land half a century ago revisit the scenes of their former 

 exploits^ how, it may be wondered, would their favourite shooting- 

 grounds strike them at the present day ? 



We have all read our Forsyth's ' Highlands of Central India,,' 

 Sterndale's ' Seonee or Camp Life in the Satpuras,' Saunderson's 

 ' Thirteen Years' Sport in India,' Simson's ' Sport in Eastern 

 Bengal,' Pollok's ' Sport in British Burma,' Pollok and Thorn's 

 ' Wild Sports of Burma and Assam,' Pollok's ' Sporting Days in 

 Southern India/ Kinloch's ' Large Game Shooting in Thibet, the 

 Himalayas and Central India,' Col. Fife-Cookson's ' Tiger Shooting 

 in the Dun and Alwar,' Baker's ' Wild Beasts and their W.iys,' 

 Eardley-Wilmot's ' Forest Life and Sport in India,' etc. What 

 lesson does a perusal of these- fascinating volumes tench us— 

 inevitably tell us ? That tlie Game of India is on tlie decrease 

 and on a very' rapid decrease, and that the good old days of yore 

 are gone, never to return. 



That the modern rifle has to some extent been responsible 

 for the present state of aflairs is beyond cavil— its accuracy 

 and also the cheapness with which the more loughly made 

 forms can be purchased. The native shikari has now to some 

 extent replaced the old blunderbuss of his father's days by a 

 breechdoader, and when possessed of such kills an infinitely larger 

 liead of game in the year as a consequence. The weapon itself costs 

 Rupees "45 only, but it is doubtless the price of cartridges wliich 

 mercifully prevents the breech-loader from coming into as general 

 use amongst this class of men as would otherwise be the case. 



But the startling decrease which the head of game existing in 

 India has undergone during the last two or three decades 

 cannot be attributed only to the improved accuracy of the 

 weapons with which the modern-day sportsman is armed.^ The 

 opening out of the country and the consequent restriction of 

 the animals is largely responsible. For instance, Bengal and 

 Assam, e. g. the Western Duars, no longer contain sufficiently 

 extensive jungles to harbour rhinoceros and buffalo. The great 

 increase in the number of sportsmen who visit the jungles 

 annually on sport intent, an increase brought about chiefly by 

 the greatly improved communications owing to railway and road 

 development, has also been a great factor in the case ; and, finally, 

 the infinitely greater number of competent native shikaris in 

 existence ; I Avrite " competent " in the sense merely to express 

 their power to Ml game. The vast majority of these men 

 are poachers pure and simple, as were their fathers and fathers 



