May 15, 1909-] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
775 
Paniher Shooiing in Southern India. 
For three months rumors had been going 
round of a panther having taken up its residence 
in the rocky hill about three miles from the 
mines, and doing considerable damage among 
the flocks of the villages; on one occasion it 
was reported to have mauled a boy. 
One evening word was brought to me that the 
beast could be seen on a rock about 400 feet 
above the bandy track which skirts the hill, so 
taking two rifles, I set out in a pouring rain and 
waited at the foot of the hill for two hours, but 
saw nothing. I went in again in the morning, 
but seeing no sign of it except the remains of 
a porcupine, I went after buck and returned to 
the panther hill in the evening, having arranged 
for a couple of goats to be ready, and tied up 
within fifty yards of the cave which the beast 
was supposed to frequent. The goats having 
been tied I hid behind a rock in the expecta¬ 
tion of the panther attacking one of them and 
giving me a shot, but nothing appeared, so I 
came out of hiding at dusk. 
On joining my coolies they informed me that 
while I was watching the goat the panther had 
been perched on top of the hill watching me, 
so I found there was an exit at the back of the 
cave by which he could come out and have a 
good look round before going for his evening 
stroll. Leaving one goat as an inducement for 
him to stay, I returned to my bungalow. 
The following evening I went to the hill 
again and found that the goat left had been 
accepted, so climbing up the hill until I got to 
the level of the rear exit of the cave, I chose 
a rock twenty yards away, behind which I could 
stand without being seen. I had two coolies 
just below me in a crevice in the rocks armed 
with knife and tomahawk in case of accidents, 
and also with my second rifle, a .300, in the 
event of the cartridges of the .500 double ex¬ 
press I intended to use being defective, as they 
were rather old. The goats were also tied up, 
but I trusted to getting a shot at the panther 
as he came out of the cave to look around, and 
had not the goats in sight. 
After waiting an hour I was thinking of giv¬ 
ing it up, as the light was failing, when I saw 
a movement among the bushes around the rock, 
but could not make out the panther at first, as 
he was the exact color of the granite rock. 
Presently he emerged from the bushes and sat 
up on the edge of the rock, giving me a capital 
view of himself before I had my shot. The 
rifle had to be lifted over the edge of my shel¬ 
tering rock, and I was afraid he might see the 
movement and bolt, but though he turned and 
looked straight at me, he had no idea, I think, 
of what was happening, as he gave me plenty 
of time to rest the rifle and aim. The bullet 
took him in the chest, and over he went into 
the scrub below. 
On climbing down to him,. he appeared quite 
dead, so the coolies tied his feet together and 
were slinging him on a pole, when one, who 
had him by the ears, dropped his head in a 
hurry, and I saw the animal open his eyes, but 
he seemed quite paralyzed. I gave him a shot 
from the smaller rifle, which at once settled 
him. By this time it was dark, but the news 
of the kill had spread, torches were brought 
and a bandy, on which the body was laid out. 
Then we moved in great style through the vil¬ 
lage with torches and tomtoms, much salaaming 
and shouting. Later in the evening the proces¬ 
sion returned, and we measured the panther. 
He was just seven feet tip to tip, which is a 
good average full grown beast. His coat was 
in good order, and he looked well fed on the 
village cattle and goats. W. R. Gilbert. 
New Game Laws. 
The last session of the Iowa Legislature 
passed a hunter’s license law, with a fee of $i 
for residents and $10 for nonresidents. This 
takes effect July 4, 1909. Another law prohibits 
the shipment for sale of game fish taken from 
the public waters of Iowa, the sale of any game 
bird or animal in the State, or the shipment of 
game bird or animal either within or without 
the State. Deputy game wardens are given the 
same powers as sheriffs and constables. 
New Jersey has passed a hunter’s license law. 
TUFTED PUFFIN AT MOUTH OF BURROW. 
Photograph by W. L. Finley. 
Each citizen of the State—meaning any person, 
male or female, who has resided in the State for 
a period of one year immediately preceding ap¬ 
plication for license—must be provided with a 
license to hunt, pursue or kill with any firearm 
wild animals or fowl which are protected dur¬ 
ing any part of the year. Farmers and their 
families are excepted. The license costs $1, 
with IS cents for a fee for issuing the same. The 
license fees, less 5 per cent, as a fee to the 
county clerk, are to be placed to the credit of 
the “resident license fund’’ to be disbursed by 
the fish and game commissioners. 
New Jersey has passed a law forbidding the 
killing of does and fawns, the use of the rifle, 
or of any firearm of a smaller caliber than 12- 
gauge in deer hunting, and the use of any 
missile larger than buckshot. Deer may not be 
killed except by daylight, nor may dogs be used 
at any time. 
All the game laws of the United States and 
Canada, revised to date and nozv in force, are 
given in the Game Laws in Brief. See adv. 
Connecticut Spring Shooting. 
Essex, Conn., May 6.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: In a recent issue of Forest and 
Stream I made a statement that I fear may 
have given a wrong impression. The statement 
referred to four bills regarding the taking of 
wildfowl in spring in Connecticut which I said 
had been reported unfavorably by the commit¬ 
tee in charge of the bills relating to fish and 
game. I also stated that their report had been 
accepted by the House. I believe that this re¬ 
port as given at that time was correct, as it 
was copied from the Hartford Courant, a paper 
noted for its accuracy in matters pertaining to 
legislation. For some reason or other, however 
—I do not know why nor how it was brought 
about—one of these bills has been tabled and 
action is to be taken upon it at a later date. I 
understand from good authority that some of 
the gunners along the shore are working in a 
quiet way and are going to make an attempt to 
push this through. 
It behooves, then, all sportsmen and friends of 
game protection in this State to be on their 
guard and to use their influence in defeating 
this bill. 
I wish the legislators of Connecticut might 
apprise themselves of the facts as they really 
are in regard to this important matter, rather 
than listen to the cries of a few individuals 
along the shore who, simply because ducks were 
abundant this spring, want to have laws passed 
that will permit them to shoot indiscriminately. 
At such times one should listen to the opinion 
of those who have looked into the matter thor¬ 
oughly, and have viewed it from all points. The 
fish and game commissioners are surely qualified 
to speak, and I suggest that their report, as it 
concerns wildfowl, be given due consideration. 
Why a longer open season than the one now 
prescribed by law, viz.: four months, is de¬ 
manded is beyond my comprehension. I have 
faith enough to believe that the majority of 
sportsmen in this State consider it ample and 
in the present crisis will be influential enough 
to turn down this spring shooting proposition. 
George W. Comstock. 
Shooting in Tennessee. 
Johnson City, Tenn., May S-— Editor 
Forest and Stream: The shooting during the 
past season was all that could be desired. Birds 
were abundant and we had almost continuous 
fine weather. If there is any adverse criticism 
on the shooting in this particular part of the 
country, it is the succession of ridges to go up 
and over or to walk on the side of. Thirty 
to forty miles south of here, similar physical 
conditions do not exist, and tramping is very 
comfortable. 
The winter has been very mild and, there¬ 
fore, greatly in favor of numbers of birds left 
over for breeding, though there are always 
plenty of birds, irrespective of the winter 
weather, which is seldom rigorous. I under¬ 
stand that there is good ruffed grouse shoot¬ 
ing in the upper foothills of the mountains. 
These birds are left almost unmolested owing 
to the laborious walking and thick covert. 
A non-resident license is imposed in this, 
Washington county. E. J. Wolfe is the game 
warden. W. L. Colville. 
