CONSERVATORS’ WORK 129 
weapons of offence and defence. The pleasure 
afforded by the sight of a fine pair of antlers or of a 
well-cured skin is a personal one, consisting chiefly 
in its power of recalling vividly the detail of the 
struggle that preceded their possession, and to 
none other—save, perhaps, the naturalist—can such 
trophies be of much interest. They are not like a 
picture, or a statue, or an Eastern carpet, which 
embody the conception as well as the skill of the 
artist, and receive their beauty from the soul as well 
as the hands that have created them. Yet even in 
civilized life buffalo hides make trunks that may last 
a lifetime, and spotted-deer skins can be changed 
into leather bags whose pliancy is a delight. For 
the wanderer in the Himalaya nothing is more con- 
venient than to use the bamboo baskets of the 
country, covered with raw hides. The hair prevents 
the rain from penetrating, and the hillmen thor- 
oughly enter into the mild joke of calling for the 
tiger, the panther, the bear, etc., when each package 
is designated by its distinctive covering. But as 
the annual list of visitors to India increases, even 
tiger skins have their value. America takes many 
to decorate the rooms of the wealthy, in spite of the 
enormous duty levied by the Custom officials, and 
the young and needy sportsman will have the less 
chagrin in parting with one or two of his trophies if 
their proceeds provide him with a trusty rifle with 
which others can be obtained. 
The Gorakhpur district is famed for its wild-fowl 
shooting, which can be easily obtained on many 
tanks and lakes during the winter months; but 
numerous guns are sometimes required if a large 
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