











































































AvuG. 17, 1907.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 

leg. These being done, twigs, etc., are thrown 
into the pit to assist the animal to clear the pit. 
The ‘captive’ is thus made to get out of the 
pit and is marched off to the ”kraal” (the 
wooden cage in which the animal is trained by 
expert mahouts). Mr. T. F. Bourdillon, the 
Conservator of Forests, in his Report on the 
Travancore Forests has made the following ob- 
servations: “Lieut. Arthur in his Memoir of 
Travancore written in 1810 mentions that at 
that time the Government used to allow people 
to cut pits for these animals on payment of a 
tax per pit. The elephants thus taken ap- 
parently became the property of the person who 
dug the pit.” It was this arrangement that 
gave occasion for the condemning of the 
method of capturing elephants “in pits” and the 
consequent introduction of the kheddah system 
on the model in vogue in Mysore. It has since 
been found that the casualties were due more 
to want of sufficient bedding at the bottom of 
the pits to break the fall than to any defect in 
the ‘pit system.” It appears that pit watchers 
to give timely intimation of “falls” were also 
not employed by the private individuals, This 
also accounted for the large number of casu- 
alties alluded to above. So far as Travancore 
and certain other parts of the west coast are 
concerned, the pit system has been found to be 
more successful than the kheddah system which, 
as we have already mentioned, was tried for 
some years and given up. The reasons that led 
to the temporary closing of the kheddah at 
Konni were—(1) the old animals could not be 
properly trained; (2) elephant herds in Travan- 
core and parts of west coast are small in num- 
ber; and (3) the pit system is less costly than 
the kheddah system. Even in the sister State 
of Mysore, where the kheddah system is largely 
prevalent it has been found to be a failure 
financially. Thus it will be seen from the above 
remarks that the pit system does not deserve to 
be condemned. On the other hand it is the 
best system, under the circumstances less costly, 
less difficult and less dangerous. 
We have in the above given an account of 
elephant capturing in general, says the Asian. 
Before concluding we may be permitted to 
mention that there is reported to exist another 
kind of elephant, called the white elephant. It 
appears to be a very rare dnimal, but there are 
some who say that their reported existence is 
simply mythological. From traditionary ac- 
counts we find that a white elephant was once 
caught in Travancore forests in 1813. We can- 
not, however, vouch for the accuracy of this 
statement. 
EAGLES ON GROUSE MOORS. 
“On a grouse moor,” writes Sir Herbert Max- 
well, in the British Sportsman, “the presence 
of a pair of eagles is an expensive luxury, as 
was forcibly brought to my notice one morning 
last March. It was a fine, still day; the brown 
hillsides were still heavily banded and streaked 
with snowdrifts, and the river ran full among 
the birch woods below. The only bird’ life 
visible or audible was here and there a grouse 
cock rising a few feet on the wing and descend- 
ing into the heather with comfortable chortle; 
for the breath of spring was in the air, and the 
bird’s fancy lightly turned to thoughts of love, 
and it behooved him to call the attention of his 
observant partner to the one spot of gaudy color 
which he displays in the season of courtship— 
the scarlet comb round the eye. Suddenly, as 
I sat there,’ adds Sir Herbert, “the moor be- 
came alive with flying grouse, scores and scores 
of them, some hurrying up the strath, low along 
the heather, others flying to a great height across 
the valley to the hills beyond the river. ‘An 
eagle!’ methought; and, looking up, I saw one 
dark against the blue sky and floating clouds, 
circling on broad-rounded wings over the far 
off crest of the hill. .A mere speck, yet every 
grouse on that breadth of moor had detected it 
at once, sought safety in instant flight, ande found 
it, for the eagle does not take his prey on the 
wing, like the chivalrous peregrine; but, like 
Leech’s French sportsman, ‘he wait till he 
stop.’ . 



We originated them. 
won thousands of young aspirants to the gentle sport 
They came into instant favor with master anglers, and 
The play they f 
the day they give! Our faith in them is such that we furnish a three years’ 
guarantee with each, against breakage from defective material or workman if 
f You cheat yourself by accepting a substitute. The Bristol can be had anywhere 
If not write us. Illustrated catalog free, and 
sure to follow the wish, if you fish with a ““BRISTOL."’ 
The trade mark “BRISTOL” is on the reel-seat of every REAL rod, 
THE HORTON MANUFACTURING CoO., 
84 Horton Street, Bristol, Conn. 

TROUT FLIE 
Split Bamboo Rods. 75c 
3 pieces, extra tip. Fly, 10 feet; Bait, 834 feet. 
“Kwonree 2c STEEL ROD 
‘Good Luck’ to you—which is 
Three 
Pieces 
$1.50 
Bait, 6, 7, 8, 8% feet; Fly, 9,.934, 10 feet. 
Automatic Reel, $2.50 
Send for Catalogue (no charge) in which you will find everything in the Tackle Line. 
CHARLES DISCH, 
318 FULTON STREET, 2 

the time. 
“KINGFISHER?” Lines. 
REMINISCENCES OF A 
SPORTSMAN. 
BY J. PARKER WHITNEY, 
This is a volume of extraordinary interest. 
The author, who is a well known man of affairs, 
and conspicuously successful in large business 
interests, has drawn ‘from his life-long partici- 
pation in field-sports a thousand and one inci- 
dents worth the telling. The book is compelling 
in its hold on the reader; once begun it will not 
be put aside until finished. 468 pages. Price, 
$3.00 (postage, 25 cents). 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 
FILE YOUR FOREST AND STREAM 
We have provided a cloth file binder to hold 26 num- 
bers of Forest AND STREAM. It is simple, convenient, 
strong, durable, satisfactory. The successive issues thus 
bound make a handsome volume, constantly growing in 
interest and value. 
The binder will be sent postpaid on receipt of one 
dollar. 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 

The “KINGFISHER” 
Brand of Silk Lines are the kind that stay with the 
job when you hook the big fish—no kinking, no 
snarling, no breaking a silk line that bears the 
“KINGFISHER?” Trade-Mark. The “KING- 
FISHER” Trade-Mark stands for quality first, last and all’ 
It’s the maker’s guarantee. 
Send for catalogue. 

- BROOKLYN, N. Y 


Ask your dealer for 
E. J. MARTIN’S SONS, 
Makers of the *“*KINGFISHER”’ Brand Braided Silk Fish-Lines, 
Rockville, 
Conn. 

WM. LYMAN’S 
RAPID FIRING TARGETS 
FOR RIFLES. 
25 Yards, price, 15c. per dozen. 
50 Yards, price, 25c. per dozen. 
, Canoe RipGE, Pa. 
The Lyman Targets received. They are the best I 
ever saw. Cuaries Kine, Gunsmith, 
FOREST AND STREAM PUB. CO., 346 Broadway, New York. 
DISEASES OF DOGS. 
Nursing vs. Dosing. 
A Treatise on the Care of Dogs in Health and Disease. 

By S. T. Hammond (‘‘Shadow’’), author of “Training 
vs. Breaking.” 161 pages. Cloth. Price, $1.00. 
This work, from the pen of “Shadow,” will have a 
hearty welcome. It comes from one who writes from full 
knowledge. ‘The results of more than fifty years of 
experience are here given,’ writes the author, ‘“‘and I 
assure the reader that no course of conduct is advised, 
no treatment recommended, no remedy prescribed, that 
has not been thoroughly tried and tested by the writer, 
- and is believed to be entirely trustworthy in every re- 
spect.” Sent postpaid on receipt of price, $1.00. 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 

