176 BIG-GAME SHOOTING IN UPPER BURMA 



sportsman in arriving at a correct conclusion, 

 if he has studied the habits of the different 

 species. While bison and tsaing are often found 

 on the same ground, certain portions of it are 

 more suited to one species than the other. The 

 more hilly the ground, the more likely is it 

 to contain a larger proportion of bison than 

 tsaing, especially if it is far from human 

 habitation. As to size, the track of the fore- 

 feet of an old bull, whether bison or tsaing, is 

 always round, the hind hoof being more or less 

 pointed. A young bull makes a small round 

 track. A cow's track is invariably pointed, 

 whether made by the fore or hind feet. A 

 large round track on soft leaves, or hard, sandy 

 soil, so that the clear impression is just stamped 

 without being sunk in, is the sort of track you 

 are on the look out for, and the sight of it, if 

 fresh enough to be followed, will rejoice your 

 heart as much as any fisherman's is gladdened 

 by the singing of his winch. 



To decide whether a track is that of a solitary 

 beast or a herd bull, follow it up for a short 

 distance. It often happens that a herd bull 

 will keep a little apart from the herd; but a 

 brief search will soon disclose the trail of the herd 

 moving parallel to it at a few yards' interval. 

 When your tracker comes to a dead stop over 

 the fresh track of a big beast, and pronounces 

 it to be that of an ' atee gway ' (solitary bull), 



