June 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
849 
IB of little use to a native, if an honest man, 
even if he can aflford to pay for one. 
It seems strange, under these circumstances, 
that Government should be so often charged by 
European sportsmen with not taking proper steps 
to protect the game of the country. It is very 
generally believed that in spite of these severe 
laws the game is being killed out. That forest 
districts contiguous to large centres of population 
are being depopulated of game and that illit-it 
shooting to a considerable extent is going on pvery- 
where does not admit of any doubt, neverthele^'S 
there is danger of exaggerated views being formed 
and statements made on the subject. When the 
difficulty of watciiing the actions of many thou- 
sands of jungle villagers scattered through some 
twelve thousand square miles of wild forest, is con- 
sidered, it seems remarkable, that the destruction 
of game is not even greater than it is. 
It is commonly supposed that 
A VAST TRADE 
in dried deer's meat is being carried on. No doubt 
a considerable quantity of venison, fresh and dried, 
is sold in towns like Puttalani, Trincoraalee, Batti- 
caloa and Hambantota, and in bazaars in planting 
districts which are within marketable distance of 
large forests ; but that there is any regular or larj^'e 
trade throughout the country, is doubtful. The 
natives in the interior are well aware of the game 
laws and the meat of animals illicitly shot by 
them is mostly consumed locally. 
The fact that large quantities of " cut " 
horns are from time to time shipped from the 
Island is conclusive proof that many deer are 
annually killed ; but some of the conclusions which 
have been drawn by sportsmen, from the Customs 
House figures, as to the total annual slaughter 
are probably beyond the mark. 
It has been asserted that many of the horns 
brought to market as " shed" horns are really taken 
from shot animals and "faked" to look like 
shed ones. It is, however, difficult to under- 
stand why any village hunter, or anybody 
else, should trouble himself to laboriously 
carve the hard bone base of a "cut" antler 
which he has a perfect right to possess and 
sell at any time (not being " meat") and which 
is of trifltng value, only about 10 cents per lb. 
if from a sambbur and 75 cents per lb. if from 
a spotted deer. To "fake" a horn, so as to 
deceive anyone of any experience, would re- 
quire considerable time and skill. A native, if 
asked how he came to have " cut" horns in 
his possession during the close season, would be 
sure to say that he had picked them up in the 
forest, they having belonged to a buck which 
had been killed by a leopard. The falsity of 
such a statement cannot easily be proved. Some 
allowance should in fact be made for horns 
picked up by natives in this way. When it is 
considered that scores of leopards roam the 
forests, killing deer all the year round, it will 
be seen that the number of bucks pulled 
down by them is not likely to be altogether 
inconsiderable. 
It will, of course, be said that it is not so 
much that the law is in fault as that its pro- 
visions are not enforced with sufficient energy. 
Sportsmen writing to the papers usually call upon 
Government to 
" STIR LP THE HEADMKN," 
a class of persons about whose duties and 
capabilities they as a rule know little. Head- 
men in the lowcountry are nearly al- 
ways ignorant villagers who are expected 
ppcted to perform multifarious and onerous duties 
without piiy or hope of proraotioji. Tliey are 
responsible for the good behaviour of the people in 
their districts, fm- the sanitary condition of the 
villages, for collection of road tax and arrest of 
defaulters, and for registration of cattle; have to 
report on applications, enquire into ;vll complaints 
and disputes and to attend to many oi her minor 
niaiter«. Tiiey have their own livelihood to 
make. They know that if they take proceedings 
against ganie-killers, they will have to tiudge to 
'""ourt, perhaps 40 or 50 miles, and, it may be, 
three or four times owing to postponements of the 
case — bearing all f-xpenses theniselve.". They are 
certain to make deadly enemies of the men prose- 
fiuted for an offence which, in their eyes, is 
scarcely any offence at all. Government officers, 
who are aware of these facts, only exercise ordi- 
nary common sense in not expecting much from 
headmen. An educated European, who wouid 
zealously perform a distasteful duty, practically 
at his own expense, under such circumstances, 
worald be considered by most of his countrymen as 
almost too good for t'lis world and wouid be re- 
garded by mv.nyaa a quixotic fool. 
The most effective way of preserving gan)e in 
the interests, both of the natives and European 
Sportsmen, would probably be for Govern- 
ment to appoint for each Province 
A GAME BOARD, 
consisting of the Government Agent, the 
Assistant Conservator of P'orests, and two 
unofficial members, one a European who 
would, of course, be nearly always a local 
European sportsman, and the other a leading 
native to look after native interests. The board 
would confer on all matters relating to the 
game laws, registration of guns, &c. The Govern- 
ment Agent would issue licenses, proclaim sanc- 
tuaries, sanction prosecutions, fix rates ami give 
orders generally with the approval of the Board. 
Licenses on payment would be issued only to 
bonafide sportsmen, shooting for amusement. 
In order that 
"THE FOOD SUPPLY OF THE PEOPLE" ' 
should be jirovided for, a number of free licenses 
would be issued annually to native hunter.", say 
one for every five hundred inhabitants of any 
forestdistrict on the following conditions : — (a) that 
the man is a permanent resident in the district 
in which he is allowed to shoot ; (&) that ho does 
not allow any other person to use his licensed 
gun ; (c) that he does not shoot more than a 
specified limited quantity of game during the 
year ; (d) that he brings to the Kachcheri the 
horns and hides of all deer shot, which will be 
sold by auction quarterly and half the proceeds 
paid over to him; (e) that he sells the meat, 
either fresh or dried, only to villagers for local 
consumption, at prices fixed by the chief head- 
man with the approval of the Game Board ; (f) 
that he does not use any irregular methods 
of killing game, such as pitfalls, traps, 
spring-guus, driving with dogs or poison 
and that he does not kill fawns ; (17) that he 
does not shoot in "sanctuaries"; (h) that he 
furnishes within three months after issne 
of license, a list of all guns in his district ; (i) that 
