viii PREFACE 



is to say, in the wet and dry zones alike. 

 This would appear at first sight to make 

 but little difference. In reality it affects the 

 subject considerably, not on account of a 

 wider experience, which I do not claim for 

 a moment, but because the habits of animals 

 differ in some degree according to the locality 

 in which they are found. Mr. Thorn's ex- 

 periences with elephants, for instance, were 

 gained chiefly while following single beasts, 

 as one would naturally expect in the hilly 

 country of the Ruby Mines. Mine, on the con- 

 trary, with few exceptions, were obtained with 

 herds in the dry zone. Then, again, 'tsaing' 

 found in the indaing forests of the dry and 

 intermediate zones differ considerably in habits 

 from those roaming in the bamboo jungles of 

 the hills. ' Thamin ' appear to call for a 

 somewhat lengthier notice than that accorded 

 to them in ' Wild Sports.' Finally, Mr. Thorn 

 had exceptional facilities for obtaining the 

 best trackers in his district, and in writing 

 of them he seems to have lost sight of the 

 difficulties under which less fortunate individuals 

 have laboured. In making these remarks I 

 trust I shall not be misunderstood. I merely 

 wish to point out that circumstances alter 

 cases. I gratefully acknowledge that when 1 

 first began to shoot big game in Burma, Mr. 

 Thorn's portion of the book above mentioned 



