62 BIG-GAME SHOOTING IN UPPER BURMA 



very fine trophies from herd bulls. Now, there 

 must be a reason for this, and I think the follow- 

 ing theory — only a theory, please remember, 

 dear reader — accounts for it. It is not in the 

 nature of things to suppose that a magnificent 

 bull in his prime, with huge, massive horns, can 

 be ignominiously driven from a herd. No, he 

 gets ousted when a youngster by the lord of the 

 herd. Thereafter he goes on his own, and in 

 the course of years, when he feels his strength, 

 he may rejoin the herd — or join another, for 

 the time being. He, in his turn, may be instru- 

 mental in turning out one or more youngsters 

 to a solitary existence, and perhaps has a ding- 

 dong battle with the erstwhile leader of the herd, 

 and ousts him. When the breeding season, so 

 far as he is concerned, is over, he resumes 

 his solitary life, having got to like it, and no 

 doubt there are some old solitary bulls which 

 have become regular hermits, forswearing female 

 society for ever and a day, possibly because old 

 age creeping on warns them that they are best 

 out of the struggle for supremacy. I think, then, 

 that the young bulls occasionally met with 

 leading a solitary existence have been ousted 

 from herds comparatively lately, and are merely 

 biding their time until they are strong enough 

 to do battle again ; while the old fellows with 

 magnificent heads are either hermits who, with 

 declining years, have accepted a solitary life as 



