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which takes him right up to the best of the hunting-grounds, and puts him down at the most favoured spots.

Nairobi, a rapidly growing town on the Athi plateau, is the best place to fit out from.

In British East Africa, in addition to a large number of well-known antelopes, such as kudu, lesser kudu, various hartebeests, blue wildebeest, pallah (or impala), eland, waterbuck, and roan and sable antelope, are to be found the rare Hunter's antelope, [Photo. by A. Radclyffe Dugmore. can be employed, is still a fair sporting country, where many species of big game are to be encountered. The White Nile and Bahr-el-Ghazel regions also offer fine shooting-grounds with the drawback of feverish and exhausting climate. a Outfit, Expenses, &c. -For hunting in all Africa south of the Zambesi, except in the Beira Country and a few districts close to the river itself, wagons, oxen, and horses can be employed. They can be used also in parts of North-West Rhodesia, in German South-West Africa, and at times in Portuguese West Africa. If the sportsman fits out in South Africa, say at Serowe (Khama's Town), Bulawayo, or Salisbury, he may reckon upon buying a good secondhand wagon outright for from £80 to £110. Oxen will probably cost from £8 to £10 per head; good hunting-ponies from £40 to £70. Ordinary ponies, which can be broken to the gun, can be purchased in South Africa, at places like Mafeking or Serowe or Bulawayo, for from £25 to £35.

The hire of a wagon and team of oxen or donkeys would cost in Southern Rhodesia about £1 IOS. per day; a full span of oxen for a Cape hunting-wagon is eighteen.

Donkeys are much slower travellers than oxen, and the latter are preferable. The wear and tear of horseflesh is very considerable, and each sportsman should take with him not less than three reliable huntingponies. If the hunting trip takes place in winter, the best season-from May to October-a "salted" horse, which is an expensive luxury, is not necessary. Mealies (Indian corn) should be carried on the wagon for the purpose of feeding the stud, and nosebags save waste and are always useful. When travelling among native tribes, mealies and Kaffir corn (millet) can usually be purchased. These vary in an average season from Ios. a bag (205 lb.) to 35s., and occasionally more, in time of drought and scarcity. With each wagon are required a driver, whose wages should not exceed from £2 IOS. to £3 IOS. per month, and leader £1 to £1 IOS. per month.

Horse-boys get about fi per month. A native cook should be secured for £3 IOS. per month. All native servants have, of course, to be found in food, chiefly mealie meal and game meat. A small waterproof oblong tent is a useful thing, if the trip is to be a prolonged one. This can be lashed on to the buck-rail of the wagon. Every necessary article required for a hunting expedition (tea, coffee, sugar, tinned milk, tinned meat and fruits, mealie meal, Boer meal, pots, pans, &c.) can nowadays be procured at up-country stores at Bulawayo, Salisbury, Serowe, and Kalomo. In North- West and North-East Rhodesia it would probably be better to secure the services of an experienced white hunter, who would act as guide and transport-master, and undertake the whole outfit of the expedition. The British South Africa Company will furnish the names of reliable men undertaking such work. In North-West Rhodesia the cost of hire of a heavy and light wagon, and oxen, three horses, drivers, native servants and cook, including maintenance, would run to from £150 to £200 per month.

This would be for a party of two, and the guide's own time and remuneration would be included. Where an expedition is conducted on foot, in Tse-Tse-fly country, for instance, where horses, oxen, and wagons [BIG GAME cannot be employed, the cost should not exceed, for a party of two, £50 per month. a As regards other items of outfit, it is a mistake to use heavy saddles; light English saddles, furnished with plenty of "dees," and bridles should be taken out from England. Half a common cotton Kaffir blanket, folded small and placed under the saddle, saves horses many a sore back.

Breeches or knickerbocker breeches of velvet cord, moleskin, or Burberry are best for the veldt. Strong brown boots and pigskin gaiters, or field-boots, are best for foot and leg gear. A broad-brimmed felt hat, plenty of flannel shirts, and a strong cord or Burberry coat for hunting in thorn or bush country, when following game on horseback, complete the outfit. The coat can be strapped on the saddle-bow, and a compass, a box of matches, and a full waterbottle should never be omitted when leaving the wagon in search of game. When hunting in Equatorial Africa, a sun helmet (the Khaki Service pattern is best) will replace the South African felt hat. A pair of light field-glasses should always be carried. A small case of medicines, preferably in tabloids (Burroughs and Wellcome's can be strongly recommended), in case of fever or dysentery, should be remembered. Corrosive sublimate or permanganate of potash tabloids, for treating sores and wounds, should be carried, and, if hunting beyond the Zambesi or in South- East Africa, a fine-mesh mosquito net should also be taken. When hunting in the waterless deserts of the Kalahari and Western South Central Africa, where the loss of one's horse may mean disaster, it is a wise plan to secure one's mount to the hunting-belt by means of a cord or thin hide riem, the other end of which is made fast to the cheek-ring of the bridle. With a little practice, a South African horse will almost always stand quietly for the shot.

A few mongrel dogs are useful for baying lion, leopard, or other dangerous game, and guarding the wagons. A pointer should certainly be taken for finding feathered game. It may be noted that at the end of a hunting-trip the whole outfit, including wagons, spare rifles, horses, and stores, can usually be sold, for about the price paid for them, on the hunter's return to a frontier town and semi-civilisation.

With average luck and judgment, therefore, a South African hunting expedition need entail nothing like the extravagant expenditure hinted at by luxurious travellers. It is a good thing to take green rotproof canvas sacks for scalps and skins of game.

These, when dry, should be sprinkled with BIG GAME] THE ENCYCLOPÆDIA OF SPORT [Photo. by A. Radclyffe Dugmore.

A LARGE HERD OF GRANT'S ZEBRA AND COKE'S HARTEBEEST ON THEIR WAY TO WATER. naphthaline, and the sacks carefully sewn up.

They are then practically insect proof. If the expedition is away for a long period, the skins should be gone through again before shipping for home.

In East and Central Equatorial Africa the cost of hunting is a good deal increased by the number of native carriers required to convey stores, ammunition, guns, and camp equipment. The Uganda Railway has, however, obviated some of this expense.

The actual cost of an expedition of some length would probably work out at something like £80 or £100 per month, if a man were hunting alone. If headquarters were made at Nairobi, and short trips taken from the railway, the expense would be considerably less. At Nairobi, at the present day, most of the necessary stores can be procured, and competent hunters, who will undertake entire charge of the expedition, are also to be obtained. Many experienced sportsmen, however, still prefer to take all stores out from England. It is to be remembered that a considerable reduction in customs duties is made on goods sent as freight. All stores, such as provisions and ammunition, should be packed in 55-lb. or 60-lb. cases. If the cases measure 24 ins. by 14 ins. by 19 ins., they can be carried with equal convenience by men or donkeys.

Trade goods, for barter and payments, can be conveniently bought in East Africa. In Somaliland, which is reached from Aden, camels are used for crossing the waterless desert which separates the coastline from the hunting-country.

Battery. We come now to that most important subject, the choice of weapons.

For any part of Africa, at the present time, a useful battery would be the following :- (1) A 400 double smokeless-powder (axite or cordite) Express rifle, accurately sighted for shooting on the plains. This is a most useful weapon for all-round sport, from elephant or rhinoceros to a springbuck or gazelle. (2) A Mannlicher sporting rifle, 256 calibre; magazine action; 5 shots. As a light weapon, weighing no more than 7 lb., this rifle, for all ordinary game, is very hard to beat. It has an extremely low trajectory, and shoots with great accuracy up to 400 yards. For stalking, in plain or hill country, it is a most excellent weapon. (3) A 12-bore ball- and shot-gun of modern and improved type. These guns are extremely useful in bush or jungle, when in pursuit of dangerous game. They are as handy as a shot-gun and need weigh no more than 7 1b. Westley Richard's "Explora" is a first-rate weapon of this type. It has great smashing power, good penetration, and carries accurately up to 300 yards. It can be used as a shot-gun, if required. (4) A 12-bore shot-gun for bird shooting.

Such a battery would be sufficient for all needs of the present day in Africa; and if [BIG GAME the writer were starting for the huntingveldt to-morrow, he would desire no more complete outfit in the shape of guns and rifles. An alternative battery might be chosen as follows:- (1) 450, 465, or 470 smokeless Express. (2) 275 Mauser-Rigby sporting magazine rifle. (3) "Explora" ball- and shot-gun. (4) 12-bore shot-gun. a If, however, the sportsman desires weapon of yet heavier calibre for use against such formidable game as elephant, rhinoceros, and buffalo, he can make use of a 600 smokeless Express, which gives a velocity of rather more than 200 feet per second, and has the enormous striking force of 8,700 foot-pounds, or about 1,700 lb. more than the heavy four-bore rifle formerly in use. Such a weapon can be relied upon to stop or turn the charge of an elephant at close quarters. At the present day, however-so great has been the extension in the power of rifles since the introduction of smokeless powder and improved bullets-the average hunter is content with no heavier weapon than a 450 or 500 rifle, even against the most formidable and dangerous of game. Armed with such a weapon, and with a really good balland shot-gun, such as the "Explora" or “Paradox," carried in reserve by a reliable gun-bearer, the sportsman need by no means be afraid to tackle elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, or lion in bush or forest country.

For stalking antelopes and other game on the plains, or in hill country, great improvements have, in recent years, been made in sighting. Good aperture backsights can be fixed at very trifling cost; these greatly increase accuracy in shooting, and are a very distinct advantage at either moving or stationary objects. A still greater improvement is the telescope sight, which can be readily affixed to the rifle, and for long range stalking enormously increases the shooting powers of the gunner. Great care, however, should be taken in the selection of such a convenience, and only those to be obtained from high-class rifle-makers, whose telescope-sights have been well proved in the field, under the rough and ready conditions of foreign sport, should be chosen. Messrs. John Rigby & Co. and W. J. Jeffery & Co. have acquired welldeserved reputations for these sights. Hints on Shooting. - As regards the actual shooting of game, it may be said that only experience in the field can teach a man the knowledge of which he stands in need. Spoorers and native hunters may be relied upon to take the gunner up to the game he seeks; the rest of the business BIG GAME] lies entirely with himself. In shooting lions, leopards, and other thin-skinned game at close quarters, the modern smokelesspowder rifle, preferably of a calibre of not less than 350, in conjunction with an expanding bullet, is a very deadly weapon. A broadside shot through the heart or lungs, or a chest shot, if the beast is facing the gunner, is pretty certain to kill or turn dangerous carnivora. The frontal head shot for elephants, often resorted to in the East, is not so frequently relied upon against the African elephant, which has a more convex skull. Since the introduction In shooting heavy game, most beginners usually make the mistake of firing too high for the vital parts. The aim should be, if possible, directed just behind the point of the shoulder, a trifle below the middle of the body. A shot through the neck vertebræ of any formidable animal is instantly disabling. It should always be remembered that for thick-skinned game, such elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, and giraffe, only solid bullets should be used. as Game Laws and Licences. It is to be remembered that Game Laws now obtain in all parts of Africa. Wherever the sports- HERD OF GRANT'S GAZELLE. of the modern high-velocity rifle and smokeless powder, however, African elephants have often been killed in this way, even with bullets of such slender calibre as the 303. A much safer shot with African elephant, however, is that between the eye and the ear, when the brain is pierced with a well-directed bullet. With these enormous beasts, however, a heavy-calibre bullet, directed at the heart or lungs, is the safer shot. Rhinoceros are, as a rule, not difficult beasts to kill, and are often surprised and slain at close quarters; a shot from a 450 to 577 rifle, or a twelve-bore-using the solid bullet-through the heart, lungs, or neck vertebræ, may be confidently relied upon to bring this gigantic game to bag. [Photo. by A. Radclyffe Dugmore. man may direct his steps, he has not only to pay a licence, usually varying from £25 to £50, but is very properly restricted in the number of head of game that he may shoot. Game regulations vary in different countries, and are frequently being added to or altered. Broadly speaking, it may be said that for a £25 licence the gunner will be allowed to shoot several specimens of most of the numerous antelopes of the country, as well as zebra, wart-hog, bushpig, lions, leopards, and other carnivora. If he desires to shoot elephant, rhinoceros, giraffe, buffalo, and a few of the rarer antelopes of course, in restricted numbershe will have to pay a £50 licence. In East Africa, at the present time, on the £50 licence, which lasts for one year from the date of issue, the gunner may shoot two elephants (tusks to weigh not less than 60 lb.), one buffalo, two rhinoceros, two hippos, two zebra, two oryx callotis, two oryx beisa, one roan antelope, one sable antelope, two kudus, two topi, ten Juba- [BIG GAME shoot three eland bulls, one kudu bull, five bulls and three cows of the sable antelope, and three zebra. In Southern Rhodesia, under an ordinary £1 gun licence, not only may all the numerous game-birds be shot, but also all the smaller antelopes, such as klipspringer, steinbuck, duiker, &c.

CARIBOU. land topi, two Neumann's hartebeest, one bongo, ten Grant's gazelle, ten Thomson's gazelle, ten Jackson's hartebeest, ten Coke's hartebeest, ten impala, ten reedbuck, ten duiker, ten klipspringer, ten waterbuck, ten wildebeest, ten bushbuck, ten paa, ten lesser kudu, ten gerenuk (Waller's gazelle), two cheeta. Lions and leopards are here, as in other parts of Africa, classed as vermin, and no licence is required to kill them.

In North-East Rhodesia a fine huntingcountry-the Game Laws vs are the most liberal in Africa. Here, with a licence costing no more than £2, the sportsman may shoot hippos, buffalo, sable and roan antelope, kudu, waterbuck, reedbuck, impala, sitatunga, puku, lechwe, inyala, chevrotain, and various other small antelopes, as well as wart-hog and bush-pig. With a special licence, costing £25, elephant, rhinoceros, eland, wildebeest, and zebra may also be obtained. In North-West and Southern Rhodesia the £25 licence covers buffalo and most of the large antelopes.

Special permits, costing another £25, have to be obtained from the Administrator to shoot elephant, rhinoceros, giraffe, and some few other species of rare game. In North-West Rhodesia, however, the ordinary £25 licence enables the holder to It would be impossible, within the space of this article, to refer at length to the various game regulations in other parts of Africa. The above instances give a fair idea of what the gunner may expect to pay in the way of licences. But before proceeding to any particular district or territory, it will, of course, be necessary to become thoroughly acquainted with the existing game laws. In South and South Central Africa, including South, North- East, and North-West Rhodesia, the shooting season extends from the beginning of May to the end of October. In East Africa from May to the end of January is the proper time for a hunting expedition.

It should be noted, however, that in this region rain may be expected in October and November.

H. A. BRYDEN.

AMERICA, NORTH.-With the exception of British Columbia, the North American continent is, in spite of a few remaining districts where good sport may still be had, practically played out from the sportsman's point of view. In British Columbia the sportsman must be prepared for downright hard work in a dense, rugged country. Here we shall find in far greater BIG GAME] quantity than elsewhere every description of game common to the States, save the Prong Buck, to compensate for which we meet the true Black Tail deer, unknown in any part of America except along the Pacific coast.

Wherever we strike into the mountains, game of some description is nearly certain to be found. But the country is frequently so densely timbered, that little can be seen.

Of well-known districts not yet exhausted, East Kootenay is the best and very easy of access. Here can be obtained in a three months' trip Caribou, White Tail, and Mule Deer; the Rocky Mountain Sheep; the Black and the Grizzly Bear; also the wretched Rocky Mountain Goat, which never can realise its danger. Here, too, lives one of the very few professional hunters of British Columbia. Every one must first gain his experience under a good hunter; and then, if he feel equal to it, let him start out northwards on his account. own The Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), the female of which carries antlers, with Bison; and finally meet the Musk Ox, which is only to be secured by some more than usually tough and enterprising sportsman. Those who hunt the Woodland Caribou should do so in the northern districts in September and November, for they shed their antlers remarkably early. They are very keen of scent and hearing, though, if the hunter succeeds in getting into a band of them, they appear to lose their heads and can be shot down right and left. They are also very locally distributed.

The mountains of the western side of the Kootenay Valley hold only Caribou and Mule Deer, while those on the east contain no Caribou at all, but plenty of Sheep, Goats, and Deer.

The Wapiti (Cervus canadensis), commonly known as Elk in America, is a magnificent deer formerly abundant in the States, but fast becoming scarce. At the present time, a specimen head is as likely to be procured in Wyoming as anywhere.

The Wapiti is easily stalked and easily killed. It carries its antlers throughout the winter. There are a few examples in A HERD OF AMERICAN BUFFALO (BISON). is distributed throughout British Columbia as far north as the head-waters of the Fraser River, where it gives place to the Moose. Further north, and inland, we come to the Barren Ground Caribou (Rangifer grænlandicus). Continuing still further north, we fall in [Copyright, Underwood and Underwood.

Kootenay and plenty on Vancouver's Island, but insular heads run small.

The Mule Deer (Cariacus macrotis), known in America as Black Tail deer, is, after the Caribou, the most widely distributed and plentiful deer of British Columbia and the States. Its habitat in R British Columbia extends on and off from the extreme south to Stuart's Lake in the north. Its antlers vary in formation and beauty considerably, and the hunter may always hope to kill yet a finer head than the last. Around Quesnell, on the Fraser, is a favourite locality. It is easily hunted and very plentiful in East Kootenay.

The beautiful White-Tailed Deer (Cariacus virginianus) have, perhaps, the widest range of any deer in the world. They penetrate from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but do not extend far north in British [BIG GAME pursuit would be wasted, so far as the prospect of obtaining other game is concerned.

The Prong Buck (Antilocapra americana) is exclusively confined to the southern prairies, and even there its numbers are rapidly decreasing. It is hunted with dogs, but affords good stalking and requires straight shooting. It has the peculiarity of shedding its horns about October.

Throughout British Columbia comparatively few mountains are without the Rocky WAPITI STAG AND HERD.

Columbia. They are very abundant in East Kootenay, and are well worthy of all the hunter's skill, which in fair stalking will be taxed to the utmost.

The Black-Tailed Deer (Cariacus columbianus) are unknown save along the Pacific coast. They never wander far inland.

From Vancouver into Alaska, many islands and the whole coast abound with them.

They are easily approached.

The Moose (Alces machlis), known in Europe as the Elk, is the largest and most ungainly deer in the world, and one hideous head should suffice to satisfy most hunters.

They are not difficult to obtain either in Canada or a district north-west of Winnipeg, but a whole season given up to their Mountain Goat (Haploceros montanus), but these tame, foolish creatures afford no sport save the risk of a broken neck. The hunter has only to discover one to secure it, and by the time he has butchered the first, he will probably consider a second not worth climbing after. Fuller particulars as to the habits of the more important of these beasts are given under special articles.

Hints on the Trip. - Unless the sportsman is content to risk entire failure, or only possible success, in some unknown district, he should, before leaving home, obtain information as to the latest discovery of a good locality for sport, and then secure a reliable hunter. All else is plain sailing.

The best route to British Columbia is via BIG GAME] New York, and on to Montreal and westward by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Little game exists east of the Rocky Mountains. If a good hunter be secured, the sportsman need not trouble himself about anything save rifles and clothing. All can be obtained with the hunter's assistance at the last town or Hudson's Bay port, where the hunter should be in waiting. a three Expenses, &c. -The cost of months' trip would be, for a hunter £2 per day, to include horses and outfit, and cook £10 per month; in addition to these, a suitable supply of cheap provisions, such as flour, rice, canned milk, coffee, sugar, salt, &c., must be taken.

Season. The sportsman should leave England about the 15th of August and must, if hunting in British Columbia, first procure a £10 licence. a Shooting Memoranda.—When stalking any animal on mountain side, the hunter should circle round to leeward and get above it, especially when after Bighorn.

By taking up a position between the setting sun and an animal, it can be easily approached unseen. On coming suddenly upon game, should it not be too much scared, it is best to remain perfectly motionless, until it commences to feed, or looks away. The most timid deer will often pass within ten yards of a stationary person without suspicion. A wounded animal should not be followed immediately, but rather be given time to lie down and stiffen.

It is advisable to hunt only early and late, resting, as do the animals, in the middle of the day. When upon the hunting-ground, shots should never be fired at winged game, or anything save good heads. The sportsman should learn to skin before going on a hunt, and do all such work himself if the trophies are to look their best. Skins should not be dried in the sun or before a fire; and plenty of neck skin must be left on the masks of deer. A good deerhound will find much game and seldom lose that which is even slightly wounded, but he must always be fastened to the belt. Careful bearings should be taken on leaving camp, and if the hunter be lost, there is no need for alarm; it is only the camp that is lost, for a man with a rifle should always be able to exist until he either find his camp or be found. Two shots fired rapidly are usually considered signals of distress.

More than one hundred rifle cartridges are unnecessary, and they should never be lost sight of or given over to any official on the way out. It requires an especially strong box to resist the rough handling of porters; and great care should therefore be taken in packing rifles.

Requirements. - A Winchester is the rifle of the country; it is good and cheap, a A YOUNG MOOSE SWIMMING. and cartridges can always be obtained; but the most perfect and satisfactory weapon is double 500 hammerless ejecting Express. If geese and ducks are likely to be met with en route to the hunting-ground, a Paradox is advisable; its possession likewise renders any mishap to the rifle of little consequence. A revolver is useless. The best way to carry a rifle is in a sling over the back.

As for the remaining requisites, ordinary winter clothing will be wanted, as well as about five pairs of common sand-shoes with thin rubber soles, which are the most comfortable and noiseless for climbing and stalking.

A strong leather belt with two knives, [Copyright, Underwood and Underwood.

YOUNG ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP. whetstone, and compass, as well as a good pair of field-glasses, are necessary. An excellent skinning- and hunting-knife is made, [BIG GAME the handle of which closes on the blade; the latter fits neatly into a sheath. A second knife should be carried, commonly known as a shoemaker's knife, the blade of which has an upward turn; it takes a rough edge, and is excellent and quick for skinning.

A roll valise is very handy for sleeping upon and carrying blankets, &c. The sportsman should be careful not to burthen himself with more than he absolutely requires, and that is very little. A fishing-rod and large trout flies will often come in handy.

J. TURNER TURNER.

INDIAN. India affords as large a variety of animals for the rifle as any country in the world. Some of them are not met with elsewhere. Tiger, Panther or Leopard, Bear, the Gaur (always called in India Bison), Buffalo, Sambur, Swamp Deer, Cheetul, Hog Deer, Barking Deer, Nilgai, Black Buck, Gazelle, Four-horned Antelope, Neilgherry Wild Goat (called in India Neilgherry Ibex), Rhinoceros, and Elephant, are the principal animals in India.

In the Himalayan ranges, there are the Markhor, Ibex, Serow, Tahr, Gooral, Shapoo or Oorial, Burrel, Snow Leopard, Musk Deer, Brown and Himalayan Black Bear, and Cashmere Stag. In the hills to the west of Sinde are a wild goat (Capra ægagrus), the same animal that is found INDIAN ELEPHANT, SHOWING SHOOTING HOWDAH. in Crete and the Caucasus (it is known to Indian sportsmen as the Sinde Ibex), and a variety of the Markhor with a straight CHEETAH. horn having a spiral twist. The Striped Hyæna, Wolf, Indian Wild Dog, Cheetah or Hunting Leopard, the Lion, Lynx, Wild Ass, and Wild Boar complete the list of what are usually styled the "big game of India, though, to the old shikari, the smaller deer and antelopes are not reckoned as such. وو The Indian Lion is now represented only by a few animals in Kathywar. They are very properly preserved and not shot, except occasionally by some one specially privileged to do so. The writer sees no difference between the Indian and the African Lion and believes them to be identical.

Tigers, Panthers, and Bears are found throughout India, generally speaking, though there are many thousands of square miles without any, and a stranger to the country, unless he has information as to the exact localities and the assistance of some experienced friend, could easily spend months without seeing a single example.

All the large mountain ranges of the Indian Peninsula hold the Indian Bison: the Satpoora and Vindhyan ranges, the Mysore and Travancore Hills are the best. The Buffalo is found only in Assam, parts of Bengal, and certain limited portions of the Raepore, Sambalpore, and Chanda districts of the Central Provinces. Sambur, Cheetul, Swamp Deer, and Hog Deer are jungle deer, the two former being found in suitable localities throughout India. The range of the Swamp Deer is more limited, its BIG GAME] principal habitat being in the heavy grass and forest land in Assam and the foot of the Himalayas. It occurs also in the Mundla, Raepore, and Sambalpore districts of the Central Provinces. The Hog Deer is found in Sinde, Assam, and Northern India; but does not extend, as stated by Jerdon, into Central India. The Barking Deer is also a jungle deer, and is found throughout India. Of the Antelopes, the Black Buck lives in the plains; the Nilgai in the jungles and also in the open country; the Four-horned Antelope in the jungles; of Cutch, and is not shot. The Hyæna is also not an object of sport, and is common.

The Wolf and Wild Dog are not uncommon, and are found throughout the country; the former generally in the open country; the latter do not leave the jungles.

The Hunting-Leopard is not often met with when out shooting. Some of the native Rajahs keep them for coursing Black Buck.

The Lynx is also seldom seen. Jerdon states that it is unknown in the Himalayas and in Bengal. That it occurs in Sinde is certain, as one was pulled down there by CHEETAH, HAWKS, AND LYNXES USED FOR HUNTING BIG GAME. the Gazelle in the jungles and in open ground. The Neilgherry Ibex only occurs in the Madras Presidency, in the Neilgherry and Annamallay Hills, and in Travancore.

The only other member of the same genus (Hemitragus) is the Tahr or Himalayan Wild Goat. The Elephant is still numerous in Travancore and Mysore, and in the large forests at the foot of the Himalayas. It is not now found in Central India. Shooting Elephants is prohibited in British territory.

In the native states of Travancore and Mysore, also, they cannot be shot without permission from the State. There are two kinds of Rhinoceros, the larger and lesser.

The former occurs in the Terai and Assam, and the latter in the Bengal Sunderbunds.

The Wild Ass is only found on the Rann a couple of greyhounds belonging to a friend of the writer. The Wild Boar is found throughout India. In all suitable localities it is killed with the spear only.

Season. The best season for Tiger, Panther, and Bear-shooting in Western and Central India is March, April, and May; after the monsoon breaks, usually in the second week in June, nothing can be done.

The jungles are then very feverish till about the end of November. In December, January, and February, which are the best months in the writer's opinion for stalking Deer, the jungle is too thick and the water too plentiful for much to be done with the felidae, though some can, no doubt, be procured at that season. Bison and Buffalostalking on foot, which is the only sportsmanlike way of attacking these animals, is best followed in April and May, and for three weeks, or a month, after the rains commence. In Northern India, where the long grass necessitates the use of elephants, the shooting is generally done in the hot weather, March to June. In Southern India, on the other hand, the feverish time in the hills is the hot weather, and October and November are safe, although much discomfort is experienced from the rain. In the hot weather the stags have mostly shed their horns, and about Christmas is the time to stalk them. In the Central Provinces, rules have been framed which establish a close-time for Deer, and this includes the hot weather. A copy of such rules should be obtained from the Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, Central Provinces, by all [BIG GAME places, from 2 to 4 annas a day. It is usual to give double pay if a tiger is killed. The shikaris' pay is from 4 to 8 annas a day.

The rewards given by Government for tigers, &c., killed, should be distributed among the shikaris and men. (The Indian rupee equals 16 annas, and at the present rate of exchange is equal to about 14 pence.) 66 MEASUREMENTS. - Probably no subject has given rise to more controversy than the measurements of animals which, in hunters' parlance, are classed as Big Game," and of trophies of the chase. The reason for this is not far to seek; for the question is dominated by that exceedingly elastic quantity, the personal equation.

Sportsmen, generally, are not too exact in INDIAN BLACK BUCK JUMPING. [Photo. by W. W. Roach who wish to shoot in the Central Provinces.

Large tracts of country, forest reserves, are also closed to sportsmen in the Central Provinces; and in other parts also it is necessary to obtain permission from the forest officer in charge to enter the jungles for shooting.

Equipment.--For big game shooting it is necessary to have one horse at least, and it is better to have two for each gun. As in hot weather it is much cooler in the open air than in a tent, an 80 lb. Cabul tent for each sportsman is sufficient; this will keep things dry in case of the rain and heavy thunderstorms that sometimes occur at this season. A double-barrelled 500 Express rifle is all that is necessary, but for a battery, the writer recommends two 500 Express rifles, an 8-bore gun built for ball (not a rifle: a gun is as good and not so heavy) and a 12-bore gun. Bullock-carts can be hired by the month at about 12 annas a day. Beaters' pay varies in different their methods of calculating size or weight, and this inexactitude may arise, not so much from pardonable anxiety to secure a trophy whose weight, length, or girth will rival or exceed that of any other particular trophy, as from the difficulties which attend the exact mensuration of animals killed in situations such as confront the adventurous hunter all the world over. Nevertheless, the means to greater exactitude in measurement are simple in the extreme, and may be summed up by saying that with a fivefoot rule, a two-foot rule-some part of it divided into millimetres-a tape-measure of any length over ten feet, a large pair of calipers, and a notebook and pencil, one ought to be able to achieve absolute accuracy.

At present, few of the tables of measurements found in books of sport detail the methods adopted. Some sportsmen measure along all the curves of a carcase (even pressing the tape into inequalities), whilst BIG GAME] others measure in a straight line. Obviously, the difference between the two methods sometimes amounts to feet-a serious matter when the measurements of two animals, each taken by a different method, are compared, and therefore the method adopted should in all cases be stated: otherwise, confusion worse confounded arises when it is sought to institute comparisons.

Length of limbs as separate items where practicable.

Girth of limbs in three places: at foot, knee, and junction with body.

E D 18 C K 1 H G A EDC Perhaps an indication of what the present writer considers a proper method of measurement may be acceptable to sportsmen generally. For ordinary mammals the method should be to measure, as shown in the diagram, Fig. I, which is that of the Leucoryx Antelope (Oryx leucoryx).

In a direct line along back from tip of nose to end of tail.

The same along under surface from end of lower jaw to end of tail.

Length of tail, measured underneath from anus to tip, the deduction of which gives the length of body above and below.

Length along top of head, following all curves from nose to just behind and between ears.

Length from proximal angle of nostril to distal angle of eyelid on dotted line A.

Length between distal and proximal angles of eyelids.

Length from proximal angle of eyelid to insertion of ear on dotted line B.

Breadth of head between eyes.

Breadth between ears.

Length and breadth of ears.

Girth around muzzle at proximal angle of jaws (c, c).

Girth around muzzle in front of eyes (D, D).

Girth around head, under throat, in front of ears (E, E).

Girth of neck behind ears (E, F).

Girth of neck in front of shoulders (G, G).

Length of neck, on upper surface, from back of ears to distal edge of shoulder (F, G). Also, on under surface, from throat (E) to point G.

Girth of body just behind fore limbs (n, n).

Girth at greatest depth of abdomen (I, I).

Girth just in front of hind limbs (k, k).

Length of body between posterior edge of fore, and anterior edge of hind limbs.

Extreme length along side from throat (E) to below spring of tail (m).

Extreme height from ground to shoulder or withers.

Extreme height from ground to above hip.

M CHSTORER 下 L L G H FIG. 1. 1 Note colours of muzzle, eyes, and all soft parts, and also any peculiarities.

The weight, if possible, to be recorded, and in many cases this may be calculated by the method detailed in certain works for ascertaining the weight of cattle.

Place and date in all cases to be given.

If a horned head, the position of horns in relation to the muzzle, eyes, and ears should be noted, and the width on top of head between their insertions.

The antlers of such an animal as a stag should be measured as shown in the diagram, Fig. 2, drawn from the horns of a Wapiti (often misnamed "Elk").

C 5 3 D C 4A B 2 1 4.STORER 1. Brow-tine.

D 2. Bez-tine. 3. Tres-tine. 4 Royal-tine. 5. Sur-royals.

Length of beam of each antler, following all curves along back of beam to tip of highest posterior tine (see dotted line A).

Length in a straight line from burr to tip of same tine (see dotted line b).

Length along centre of beam to crown.

Distance from burr to spring of first or brow-tine.

Length of brow-tine along under surface.

Distance between brow-tine and next or bez-tine.

Length of bez-tine.

Distance between bez- and tres-tines.

Length of tres-tine; and so on, measuring length of each successive tine, and distance from this to next. Also note if any anterior sur-royal makes, with the beam, a greater length than that along the dotted line A. [BIG GAME next anterior one above the brow-tine is, therefore, the tres (sometimes, although erroneously, called the "royal").

The diagram, Fig. 3, shows the different types of antlers, for all of which, except the last, the foregoing method of measurement must be modified.. Twisted horns such as those of the Antelopes and of various sheep should be measured along their front, back, and side curves in the manner described by Sir Victor Brooke and other authors, together with girths and distances between the various points.

The length, width, and girth of the skull at various points is desirable.

The following tables of Big Game measurements have been compiled from various works; but, as will be observed, in scarcely any case is the exact method in- Span between burrs.

Span between tips of brow-tines.

Span between tips of bez-tines.

Span between tips of tres-tines. on dotted line c, c.

Span between tips of anterior sur-royals dicated, and therefore those measurements 3 4 5 3 5 3 4 for which the writer is not responsible must be taken on their merits. Probably no skin-measurements are of the slightest avail, skins being stretched out of all proportion in the process of pegging-out and drying. 4 1 1 1 B A 1 C 5 5, 3 3 4 4 4 3 D 1 E 12 F CH-STORER FIG. 3.-TYPES OF ANTLERS (modified from P.Z.S.).

A. Rusine type.

B. Normal Rucervine type. c. Intermediate Rucervine type.

D. Extreme Rucervine type.

E. Sub-Elaphine type.

F. Elaphine type.

In an article like the present, which is necessarily limited, it will be readily understood that not a tithe of the measurements to be found in books of sport, travel, or reference can be given, nor, indeed, can all the animals known as beasts of chase be even mentioned, this omission being particularly noticeable in the great order of the