Fbb. 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
539 
periences, was listened to with rapt attention, f-nd at 
the close was warmly thanked for his most interest- 
ing lecture on the motion of the chairman, who, in 
the conrse of his remarks, s^ioke of the value of mush- 
rooms as food, and S'liii lie had in vain tried to per- 
suade the inliabitants of Orkney and Shetland to use 
the multitudes of mushrooms growing in their fields 
as a change from the monotony of their daily menu. 
In Bnssia, he said, mushrooms grew luxuriantly im- 
mediately after the melting of the snow, and were 
eaten with avidity by the natives. Dr. Ogilvie, in 
seconding the vote of thanks, spoke of the great value 
of the discovery that mo'^quitos caused malaiia, and 
said it ought to be o£ special interest to Aberdonians, 
because Di'. Manson, who discovered it, was an Aher- 
doniau. The lecture was illustrated by beautiful 
lantern slides, supplied by Mr. Sinclair. — Aberdeen 
Free Press, Dec. 18. 
GAME PRESERVATION ON THE NILGIKIS. 
(From a Correspondent.) 
I referred the other day to the trout breeding 
experiments of the Nilgiri Game and Fish Preserva- 
tion Association, but tlie Association's operations were 
not confined to these during the past year, a good 
deal having also been done by way of protecting and 
increasing game. 
The local magistracy appear to have supplemented 
the efforts of the Association in this respect by in- 
flicting substantial penalties when cases of illegal 
shooting were proseo':;ted. For instance, a fine of K50 
was levied for a flagrant viola tion of the rule against 
trespass in a reserve, and R30 in the case of shooting 
a doe ibex. Illegal fishing was let off with moderate 
punishment, never in any case exceeding a fine of 
mo. The Association attribute success in carrying so 
many cases to conviction to the appointment of two 
competent game watchers at the foot of iheNilgiris, 
but they acknowledge, at the same time, that a great 
deal remains to be done on the plateau to stop poach- 
ing among some of the bill tribes, more especially 
the Bodagus and Kurumbas who inhabit remote and 
unfrequented parts of the district. 
The destruction of vermin, as a means of eame pro- 
tection, has not been neglected. Jangle cats, mon- 
gooses, and wild dogs are great enemies of game 
and play much havoc among them. Sportsmen will 
thereforn, be glad to learn that no less than 279 cats, 
65 mongooses and 13 dogs were-accounted for during 
the twelve months ending on June 30th last. The 
Game Association have a difficulty to contend with, 
when they give good rewards for vermin destroyed, 
as. these rewards tempt persons , to go outside the 
limits of the Association's jurisdiction, kill the animals 
where they have no value, and bring them to the 
office of the Association and claim the reward. During 
the year under notice, this difficulty was still ex- 
perienced, but it is hoped surmounted by the bona 
fides of each applicant for a reward being examined 
before it was paid. Eagles, which destroyed large 
.amount of feathered game, and others which catch 
and devour imported fish, when they can get them — 
were also disposed of in numbers, 
A very useful record, which the Association have 
been labouring to set on foot for some considerable 
time past, was started during the year. This is the 
Nilgiri Game Bag, to which the local taxidermist 
is almost exclusively the contributor on the present 
occasion. Mr. Van Ingen supplied what licensees 
were backward in communica'ing, and informed the 
Aaaociation that 11 sambur were killed, seven on 
the ^Cundahs and two on the slopes, which proved 
to be the largest, the spread of their horns measuring 
34 inches each. The biggest Kundah sambur measured 
an inch less. One spotted deer fell to the gun of 
a sportsman on the Westbury Estate, which lies 
on the northern slopes of the Nilgiria over- 
looking the Mysore plateau, two black bucks 
were also shot in the unfrequented forests conserved 
between the Nilgiris and tUe highlands iu the north 
of the Coimbatore d.striot. Among dangerous carnivora 
Mr Van Ing^n states that three tigers, two males 
and a. .female, and four panthers, all males, had 
been killed, five bears, all males, were also shot 
The two male tigers measured 9 feet each from tin 
of tail to nose while the female was only thron 
inches shorter. The largest panther was killed in the 
\Vestbury Estate, vyhile ^he biggest bear was met 
-■with in Wynaad^ Although hyain.as are known to 
abound on the Nilgiris only one was destroyed and 
that a male at Kotagiri. ■ 
With the very limited resources at the disposal of the 
Association, falling short annually of E3,ii00, it is very 
satisfactory to find that more than a third of that 
sum was spent in rewards for vermin killed, and as 
much as ha,f the rest was laid out iu experiments 
with imported fish. ^ 
It cannot be denied that the measures of protec- 
tion already adopted by the Game Association have 
«nd tb.T°M '^-r^''''-' preserving game, 
and that the future visitor to the Sanitarium may 
look upon good sport as oertaiii, if he will only seek 
foi it in likely nlaces, when he goes to the Hills 
for a holiday.— Piowecr, Jan. 3 
CARBIDE OF CALCIUM AND 
ACETYLENE GAS. 
A gentleman, who .seems to be well ud 
from home^ri'' ''^ ^^^^^ mail 
"I am amazed to see Carliide of Cal- 
cium pronounced by His Excellencj^ the 
Governor ui Executive Council to be a 
dangerous article on account of its being ex- 
plosivc, and therefore classed with dynamite 
and gunpowder ! It is an article of domestic 
and everyday use here, and is destined within 
a short tune to revolutionise the liehtine of 
towns, houses, factories, etc., etc. The Ger- 
mans are making rapid strides witii it, see 
iiritish Consular Report from Stuttgart. I 
fancy your Executive will hear more on this 
subject before long. 
" Re Acetylene Gas from Carbide of Cal- 
ciuni see the lectures by Prof. Lewis at the 
Society of Ar.^s. This article should be brought 
very prominently to the notice of the Ceylon 
public as being of great utility, as soon as the 
mischievous notions of the Executive of this 
pelled " explosive(\) have been dis- 
Acetylene gas we see very highly praised 
for isolated installations, such as Railway 
stations, and the like. Should not Mr. Pearce 
give it a trial ? 
From Indian Engineering, Dec. 29, we quote 
as lollows :— ^ 
Carbide of Calcium is now being retailed in 
India at the rate of four annas the pound, 
or about half the price it can be bought 
at in this country Inasmuch as India at present 
produces no carbide, it would be interesting to 
know where this supply comes from. The 
H-nglish Company cannot be suspected of anv 
rash enterprise in that direction since it takes it 
all its tinie to attend to its own British customers. 
But the held in India for acetylene lighting is 
such an immense one that it may possibly have 
occurred tosomeGeiman producers of the chemi- 
cal to attempt its cultivation and to spread 
acetylene lighting by delivering quantities of 
carbide upon the market at a price that would 
otter what are naturally a very conservative class of 
buyers some inducement to experiment witli iti 
