Chapter XI: Indian Shooting (4)

+-------------------+----+----+------+------+-------+-------+----------+
| |Nose|Tail|Height|Height|Length,|Height,|Girth |
| | to | |at |at |dorsal |dorsal |chest |
| Authority |root| |shoul-|rump |ridge |ridge | +-----+
| | of | |der | | | | |Girth|
| |tail| | | | | | |neck |
+-------------------+----+----+------+------+-------+-------+----+-----+
| GAVÆUS GAURUS |
| |ins.|ins.| ins. | ins. | ins. | ins. |ins.|ins. |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Sterndale }|114½| 34½| 73½ | 63 | 40 | 4½ | .. | .. |A
| (‘Mammalia’) }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” ” |104½| 37¾| 69 | .. | 29½ | .. |104 | 48½ |B
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |C
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |D
| | | | | | | | | |
|Sanderson }| .. | .. | 72 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |E
| (‘Thirteen Years}| | | | | | | | |
| among Wild }| | | | | | | | |
| Beasts’) }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. J. D. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |F
| Goldingham, }| | | | | | | | |
| Bethnal Green }| | | | | | | | |
| Museum }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. T. W. H. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |G
| Greenfield }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. J. Carr }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |H
| Saunders }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. A. O. Hume | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |I
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Bombay Nat. Hist. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |J
| Soc. Proc. }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. J. D. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |K
| Goldingham, }| | | | | | | | |
| Bethnal Green }| | | | | | | | |
| Museum }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Madras Museum | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |L
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Shot by General Cox| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |M
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |N
| | | | | | | | | |
|Lieut.-Col. Sandys | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |O
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. J. Carr }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |P
| Saunders }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Sir E. G. Loder, }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |Q
| Bart. }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Sir V. Brooke | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |R
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |S
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. J. D. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |T
| Inverarity }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|General Hardwicke,}| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |U
| British Museum }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. B. H. Hodgson,}| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |V
| Brit. Mus. }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. O. Shaw | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |W
| | | | | | | | | |
|Major Greenaway | .. | .. | 65 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |X
| | | | | | | | | |
|The Writer | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |Y
| | | | | | | | | |
|Col. Kinloch | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |Z
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |a
| | | | | | | | | |
|Forsyth | .. | .. | 71 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |b
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | 69 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |c
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |d
| | | | | | | | | |
|Average of }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |e
| good head }| | | | | | | | |
+-------------------+----+----+------+------+-------+-------+----+-----+

+-------+-------+----+------+------+------+------+------+--------------+
|Muzzle |Breadth|Ear |Length|Girth |Splay |Tip to|Widest| |
|to |fore- | | of |of |at |tip |span | |
|frontal|head | | horn |horn |tips |across|inside| Remarks |
|ridge | | | | | |fore- | | |
| | | | | | |head | | |
+-------+-------+----+------+------+------+------+------+--------------+
| GAVÆUS GAURUS |
| ins. | ins. |ins.| ins. | ins. | ins. | ins. | ins. | |
| | | | | | | | | |
A| 25¾ | 15½ | 10½| .. | 19½ | 25 | .. | .. |{Quoting Sir |
| | | | | | | | |{Walter Elliot|
| | | | | | | | | |
B| 24 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 27¼ | .. | .. |{Quoting Mr. |
| | | | | | | | |{Blyth |
| | | | | | | | | |
C| .. | .. | .. | .. | 17 | 22½ | 83 | 38½ | ? Outside |
| | | | | | | | | |
D| .. | .. | .. | .. | 19 | 19 | 74 | 33 | ? ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
E| .. | .. | .. | .. | 19 | 19 | 74 | 33 | ? ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
F| .. | .. | .. | 33¾ | 17¼ | 24 | .. | .. |{Rowland Ward,|
| | | | | | | | |{‘Horn |
| | | | | | | | |{Measurements’|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
G| .. | .. | .. | 33½ | 18½ | 25 | .. | 33¼ | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
H| .. | 13 | .. | 32 | 17¼ | 33½ | 79½ | 46 | Outside |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
I| .. | .. | .. | 31⅞ | 17⅛ | 21⅜ | .. | 32½ |{Rowland Ward,|
| | | | | | | | |{‘Horn |
| | | | | | | | |{Measurements’|
| | | | | | | | | |
J| .. | .. | .. | 31½ | 18 | 29 | .. | 43 | Outside ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
K| .. | .. | .. | 31¼ | 16⅜ | 12⅝ | .. | 27½ | ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
L| .. | .. | .. |{ L: }| 20 | 36¼ | 70¾ | 44 |{? Outside. |
| | | |{ 30¾}| | | | |{‘Smoothbore’s|
| | | |{ R: }| | | | |{Letter to the|
| | | |{ 25½}| | | | |{“Asian”’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
M| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 |? ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
N| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 46 |? ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
O| .. | .. | .. | 30½ | 16½ | 13½ | .. | 33¼ |{Rowland Ward,|
| | | | | | | | |{‘Horn |
| | | | | | | | |{Measurements’|
| | | | | | | | | |
P| .. | .. | .. | 30⅛ | 17⅞ | 33⅜ | .. | 40¼ |Outside ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Q| .. | .. | .. | 29⅞ | 18¼ | 30 | .. | 34 | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
R| .. | .. | .. | 29¾ | 18⅝ | 25¼ | .. | 30⅜ | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
S| .. | .. | .. | 29⅝ | 18½ | 16¼ | .. | 26½ | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
T| .. | .. | .. | 29½ | 18 | .. | .. | 33 |Outside ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
U| .. | .. | .. | 29¼ | 12⅞ | .. | .. | 18 | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
V| .. | .. | .. | 29⅛ | 16⅝ | 20⅜ | .. | 29¼ | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
W| .. | .. | .. | 29 | 22 | .. | .. | .. | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
X| .. | .. | .. | 29 | 22 | .. | .. | .. | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
Y| .. | .. | .. | 27 |19⁹⁄₁₀|19⁴⁄₁₀|69⁹⁄₁₀| .. | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
Z| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 69 | 36 |{? Outside. |
| | | | | | | | |{‘Large Game |
| | | | | | | | |{Shooting’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
a| .. | .. | .. | .. | 17 | .. | 66½ | .. | ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
b| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |{‘Highlands of|
| | | | | | | | |{Central |
| | | | | | | | |{India’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
c| .. | .. | .. | .. | 17 | .. | .. | 37½ |? Outside ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
d| .. | .. | .. | 25½ | 15½ | .. | .. | .. | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
e| .. | .. | .. | 27 | 18 | .. | .. | .. | |
| | | | | | | | | |
+-------+-------+----+------+------+------+------+------+--------------+

In Assam, Chittagong and Burmah the natives own large numbers of domesticated animals called ‘mithun’ or ‘gayal,’ which are very similar to bison in appearance, but are without the characteristic frontal ridge, and are said to have a small dewlap. Sterndale distinguishes these under the name of _Gavæus frontalis_, and quotes Dr. F. Buchanan Hamilton and Professor Garrod’s account from Mr. Macrae to the effect that the natives recruit their tame herds by catching and taming wild animals. But both Sanderson and Kinloch, who have hunted in the districts where the tame gayal are numerous for the express purpose of bagging a wild one, declare that such an animal does not exist, that the wild animals in those parts are the same as bison anywhere else, and that the peculiarities of the tame ones are due to domestication and inter-breeding with domestic cattle.

As regards measurements of heads, the same disappointing practice prevails with bison as with buffalo, viz.: measuring from tip to tip of the horns across the forehead, in addition to which (with bison) heads are frequently estimated only as regards the width of splay between the horns, without any reference to their length and girth. This latter measurement is the more misleading, as a deformed head with unnatural lateral sweep is more valued than one with long massive horns which grow closer together. The fairest measurement is length and girth at base of horn only.

XIX. BURMESE WILD OX (_Gavæus sondaicus_)

_Native names: ‘Tsoing,’ Burmah; ‘Banteng,’ Java; (Sterndale). Habitat: Burmah, the Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java. Blyth says it is domesticated in the Island of Bali._

This animal resembles the gaur in many respects, having the distinctive white stockings, but has no frontal or dorsal ridge. Its horns are more like those of the gayal, but it has not the dewlap of the latter, and it appears to be a much smaller and lighter built animal than either gaur or gayal.

The old bull is black with white stockings and a white patch on each buttock, the cows and young bulls being bright chestnut. There is a stuffed specimen in the British Museum which shows the difference very plainly. The only measurements the writer has been able to obtain are those of the horns.

_Measurements_

+--------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------------------+
| Authority |Length |Girth |Splay |Widest | Remarks |
| |of |of |at |span | |
| |horn |horn |tips |inside | |
+--------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------------------+
| | | | | | |
| GAVÆUS SONDAICUS |
| | ins. | ins. | ins. | ins. | |
|British Museum| 24¾ | 12¼ | 15¾ | 24¼ |{From Java, Rowland |
| | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | |
|Mr. H. B. Low,| 21⅜ | 12¼ | 13⅛ | 19¼ |From Borneo ” |
|British Museum| | | | | |
| | | | | | |
|Mr. J. Carr | 21 | 12 | .. | .. | ” |
|Saunders | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
|Mr. H. B. Low,| 20⅝ | 12¼ | 18⅛ | 22⅛ |{ ” Rowland |
|British Museum| | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | |
|British Museum| 20 | 12 | .. | .. | |
| | | | | | |
|Mr. H. B. Low,| 19¼ | 11¼ | 10⅛ | 15¾ |{From Borneo, Rowland|
|British Museum| | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | |
| ” | 18¼ | 10⅞ | 14½ | 18⅝ | ” |
| | | | | | |
| ” | 18 | 12¼ | 13⅜ | 16⅝ | ” |
+--------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------------------+

XX. YAK (_Poephagus grunniens_)

_Native names_: ‘_Donkh,_’ _‘Dhong_,’ _Ladak_; ‘_Bunchowr_,’ _Hindi_

Wild yak are said to be plentiful throughout Thibet, but at present the Tartars watch their frontier so jealously that it is almost impossible for Europeans to cross with any chance of obtaining sport; particularly as the sportsman’s own Tartar attendants would be the first to endeavour to frustrate any ambitious schemes of exploration. It must be remembered that, not only would they be held responsible by the Leh authorities if anything happened to an Englishman, but, living on the frontier themselves, they naturally like to be on good terms with their neighbours. The valley of Chang Chenmo, north of the Pangong Lake, and the ground between the Niti Pass and the Sutlej, are the only two easily accessible places where yak may be met with. Beyond Chang Chenmo there is said to be good ground on the Karakash, but to cross the Linzinthung plains would require special arrangements, and ponies would have to be taken instead of the ordinary tame yaks on account of the scarcity of grass. An old wild bull yak is a magnificent beast; he is nearly jet black, with a little grey about the muzzle and forehead. Though fifteen hands in height, his legs are short and sturdy. The long shaggy hair which droops from his body reaches down to his knees, and sometimes almost to the ground; and his huge swab of a tail rather adds to than detracts from his beauty. The white tails which are brought for sale are those of tame yaks; a wild bull’s tail is such an unwieldy mass of hair that it is not at all the sort of thing to have flipping round one’s head on a hot evening. Tame yaks have often a good deal of white about them. Wild yaks with white patches have occasionally been shot, but only cows as far as the writer can learn; wild bulls appear always to be black. The Tartars say that these mottled wild yaks are hybrids between the tame bulls, which are turned out to graze on the hills in the summer, and wild cows.

Captain Duff contributes the following interesting account of a successful stalk after yak:

I was out one day after a couple of Thibetan antelope, and not
being able to get near them, was looking about to see if there
was any game farther up the nullah. Right away up the head of the
valley we saw a large herd of dhong, about twenty or more, with a
lot of young ones, and even at that distance we could distinguish
one much bigger than the rest. The next day, a heavy fall of snow
prevented my going out; but on the third day, I started to try
for them. It was a long walk to get anywhere near the herd, and
of course, just as I was beginning to go a bit carefully, and
take advantage of cover, I put up three very fair _Oves Ammon_,
but the dhong did not seem to notice them, and the wind all
through was in my favour. A bit farther on I came across one of
those beastly kyang, which would keep running on in front of me
till I could get across the river at the bottom of the valley.
When I got up to where I expected to find the dhong, I found
they had moved a good bit higher up the nullah, and I could not
possibly get nearer than some three hundred yards from them.
Leaving my gun-carrier and a Tartar behind with strict orders not
to stir till I fired, I tried to crawl on with my shikari, but
had to return before getting any distance, the dhong meanwhile
feeding farther away and going up the hillside, thus making the
stalk more and more difficult. I had seen no signs of my big
friend, and began to think I had been mistaken; but there was a
fair-sized bull with the herd. I now had to retrace my way for
some distance, and get down to the river again, so as to creep up
under cover of the bank till I got a hill between the dhong and
myself. On reaching this hill, I found I could not possibly get
within shot, and could do nothing but hide behind a large stone
and wait.

I suppose I must have waited at least a couple of hours, when
there was a bit of a commotion among the herd, the babies all
running to the big ones, and I heard a funny noise which I could
not account for. In a few minutes I saw the big bull appear from
round the side of the hill, walk leisurely towards the herd, and
lie down. Just then three chankos came past me, and I came to the
conclusion that they had occasioned the scare, had been driven
off by the big bull, and had made the noise I heard.

I waited for another good half-hour, and had almost made up my
mind to crawl towards the bull in the hope that he would mistake
me for one of the chankos coming back, and so give me a shot,
when up he got, but only to walk a few yards, and then go down
again and roll.

After a bit of this sort of play he got up again, and taking no
notice of the rest of the herd, began walking towards me.

There was a little stream at the foot of the hill I was on, and
the bull was walking quietly down the opposite bank, coming
on slowly, looking like a young elephant with his hair nearly
touching the ground on each side of him.

I waited and waited for him, till he got almost past me, and
within about sixty or seventy yards, and then he stopped, looking
down the nullah, and broadside on to me. I tried to get steady
on him and fired; but he stood still, and my shikari said I had
missed. The ground beyond him was softish, and I began to be
afraid I had, and had not seen the bullet strike, so I fired
again, and the bull dropped in his tracks. I found my first shot
had hit him in the neck, and must have paralysed him, as he
could not move his forelegs, though he could kick with his hind
ones. My second shot was a wild one, and had only broken a hind
fetlock. The rest of the herd ran in all directions at the shot,
and then getting together, made for the top of the valley. As
soon as I saw that the big bull could not get away, I started
after them, and managed to get two more bulls.

The big bull was really a very fine beast, his forehead covered
with curly grey hair. He measured just over 15 hands 1¼ in. as he
lay. I put a stick as upright as I could against his withers, and
measured to his heel.

_Measurements_

+--------------------+---------+--------+----+--------+-----+---------+
| Authority |Height at|Length, |Tail|Girth |Girth|Girth |
| |shoulder |head and| | at | at |at neck |
| | |body | |shoulder|belly|(thinnest|
| | | | | | | part) |
+--------------------+---------+--------+----+--------+-----+---------+
| | BOS GRUNNIENS |
| | ins. | ins. |ins.| ins. | ins.| ins. |
|Hume Collection, }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |A
| British Museum }| | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
|Col. E Smyth, }| 72 | 130½ | 37 | 121 | 112 | 50 |B
| Leeds Museum }| | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
|Major FitzHerbert, }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |C
|Cambridge Museum }| | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
|Hume Collection, }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |D
| British Museum }| | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
|Hon. W. Rothschild | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |E
| | | | | | | |
|British Museum | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |F
| | | | | | | |
|Mr. H. C. V. Hunter | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |G
| | | | | | | |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |H
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |I
| ” (quotes one) | 70 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |J
| ” | 64 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |K
| ” | 64 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |L
| | | | | | | |
|Sir R. Harvey, Bart.| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |M
| | | | | | | |
|Capt. Duff | 61½ | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |N
| | | | | | | |
|Col. Kinloch | 60 }| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |O
| | or }| | | | | |
| | more }| | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
|Jerdon’s ‘Mammalia’ | 66 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |P
| | | | | | | |
|Major FitzHerbert | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |Q
| | | | | | | |
|Average of good head| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |R
+--------------------+---------+--------+----+--------+-----+---------+

+-------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|Length,|Girth|Splay,|Widest| Remarks |
| horns | at |tip to|span | |
| |base | tip |inside| |
+-------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
| BOS GRUNNIENS |
| ins. | ins.| ins. | ins. | |
A| 38¼ | 17 | 19 | 31½ |Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
B| 36 | 18 | .. | .. |Gen. Macintyre, ‘Hindu Koh’ |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
C| 35 | 15 | .. | .. | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
D| 34⅞ | 15 | 16 | 27¾ |Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
E| 34 | 12 | 20½ | .. | ” ” ” |
| | | | | |
F| 32⅜ | 13⅜ | 16½ | 26⅜ | ” ” ” |
| | | | | |
G| 32 | 13⅞ | 15¼ | 22¼ | ” ” ” |
| | | | | |
H| 31½ | .. | .. | .. |{ ‘Sportsman’s |
I| 31 | .. | .. | .. |{ Guide |
J| .. | .. | .. | .. |{ to |
K| .. | .. | .. | .. |{ Ladak, |
L| .. | .. | .. | .. |{ &c.’ |
| | | | | |
M| 30¾ | 13½ | 10½ | .. |Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’|
| | | | | |
N| | | | | |
| | | | | |
O| about |about| .. | .. |‘Large Game Shooting’ |
| 36 | 14 | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
P| 30 | 15 | .. | .. | |
| | | | | |
Q| 21 | 8 | .. | .. |(A cow) |
| | | | | |
R| 27 | 12 | .. | .. | |
+-------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+

In 1866 another sportsman managed to evade the Tartars, and crossing the Sutlej beyond Niti, found a herd of eighty yak, out of which he shot a bull and three cows, one of the latter being piebald.

There is a quaint story from Nepal, that, during the war between the Nepalese and the Thibetans, Jung Bahadur, finding his army very short of food, referred the case to the chief priests in Khatmandu, who decided that yak were deer, and not cattle at all, as their tails were different, and so might safely be killed and eaten by the pious Nepalese.

XXI. BUFFALO (_Bubalus arni_)

_Native names generally: ‘Ban Bhains,’ ‘Arná’ the male, ‘Arni’ the female; in Bengal, ‘Mains’_

The buffalo is found in Nepal, and extends eastward through Assam to Burmah. It is plentiful in the Sunderbuns, in the Central Provinces, and in Ceylon, but is not found, according to Sanderson, in Southern India. Forsyth gives 80° as the extreme western limit of buffaloes in Central India, and says that they are not found north of the Nerbudda river.

The wild buffalo only differs from the tame one in being slightly larger and more uniform in colour (tame ones are of many shades, and have often a good deal of white about them, in fact albinos are not uncommon), and in having regular white stockings, which the tame ones may or may not have. The horns are more symmetrical and larger. In the high grass jungles of the Terai and Assam, buffaloes are generally shot off elephants, and Kinloch notices ‘the strong sweet bovine scent’ emitted by a herd. In the Sunderbuns and parts of Lower Bengal they are occasionally shot out of boats when the country is flooded. The sport is described as magnificent, but requires a fever-proof constitution.

In the Central Provinces, however, the ground is more open; there buffaloes can be stalked on foot, and Captain Forsyth gives an account of a sparkling episode when shooting buffaloes from horseback.

When pursuing them on foot, the best time for sport is in April and May, when a good deal of the grass has been burnt and water is comparatively scarce. The best way of finding the animals is to look for fresh tracks near pools of water, and follow them up. The plan recommended for bison, of sending the trackers on ahead, should be adopted if possible.

Captain Lamb gives the following interesting account of a stalk:

I started up the river bed and found fresh tracks. After
following the track for a good way we came on a single bull
feeding on a grassy plain about half a mile in width, studded
with a few trees. Leaving all the men behind, I crept up on my
stomach to within about forty yards of him, and got behind a
small pollard tree without the bull being aware of my presence.
I fired at his shoulder with the 12-bore, and he fell over
kicking on his back. Just as I was going to give him another
shot, a second and larger bull rushed out from the long grass
and attacked number one, who was still kicking on the ground. He
gave him a tremendous punishing, bowling him over whenever he
attempted to rise. I was so astonished at the whole thing, that I
simply stood and watched. After a little while, number two seemed
to think there was something wrong, and stopped to look round;
whereupon, I took the opportunity of giving him a shot, which
laid him on his back like his fellow. Both bulls then got up
and went into the long grass. I followed number one, going very
cautiously, as I was not quite sure of number two’s whereabouts.
I came up with number one, who was still on his legs, knocked
him over again and finished him with a shot behind the ear. I
then went after number two and killed him without any difficulty.
The fight had been quite knocked out of him.

Buffaloes appear to charge much more readily when hunted with a line of elephants or from boats than when stalked on foot. In the first case at all events the buffalo is generally roused from his midday sleep, and attacked at close quarters, when his temper is ruffled, while when stalked on foot he gets such a severe wound when feeding (probably without seeing his enemy) that the fight is knocked out of him to start with. Still fatal instances have occurred, notably in the case of Mr. Chatterton, of the police, who was killed by a buffalo in 1886.

_Measurements_

+-----------+---------+-----+---------+----------+------+--------------+
| |Length, | |Girth of | |Tip to|Splay |
| |nose to |Girth|forearm |Length |tip |at +---------+
| Authority |root of |of | +------+of |across|tips|Widest |
| |tail |body | |Height|horn+-----+fore- | |span |
| | +----+ | |at | |Girth|head | |inside |
| | |Tail| | |shoul-| |of | | | +----+
| | | | | |der | |horn | | | |Sex |
| +----+----+-----+--+------+----+-----+------+----+----+----+
| | Remarks |
+-----------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| BUBALUS ARNI |
| |ins.|ins.| ins.|ins.|ins.|ins.|ins. | ins. |ins.|ins.| |
|British |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 78 | 17 | .. | .. | .. |Bull|
|Museum |} | | | | | | | | | |(?) |
| | Pair of horns without skull |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 77⅜| 17⅞ | .. | .. | .. |Bull|
| | (Single horn) Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |R65½| 20¼ | 146¾ | 98 | .. | ” |
| | | | | | |L68¼| | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Colonel J. |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 65¾| 20¼ | .. | .. | .. | ” |
|Mathie, |} | | | | | | | | | | |
|British |} Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’ |
|Museum |} | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|British |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 58⅝| 12⅜ | .. | .. | .. |Cow |
|Museum |} | | | | | | | | | |(?) |
| | ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Mrs. |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 58½| 13¼ | .. | .. | .. |Cow |
|Hannaford |} ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|British |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 58½| 12¾ | .. | .. | .. |Cow |
|Museum |} | | | | | | | | | |(?) |
| | ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Bethnal |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 58¼| 18 | .. | 42¼| .. |Bull|
|Green |} | | | | | | | | | | |
|Museum |} ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|British |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 58¼| 13 | .. | .. | .. |Cow |
|Museum |} | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. J. D. |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 57 | .. | .. | .. | .. |Bull|
|Inverarity |} ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. Eyre |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 56 | 15½ | .. | 55½| 58 | ” |
|Coote |} ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. J. Carr|}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 55½| 18½ | 124 | .. | .. | ” |
|Saunders |} | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Hume |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 54½| 18⅛ | .. | 38¼| 48⅞| ” |
|Collection,|} | | | | | | | | | | |
|British |} ” ” ” |
|Museum |} | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. A. O. |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 53⅞| 12 | .. | .. | .. |Cow |
|Hume |} | | | | | | | | | |(?) |
| | ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Baron de |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 53¼| 21 | .. | 26⅞| .. |Bull|
|Nolde |} ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Hume |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 53¼| 12⅛ | .. | .. | .. | ” |
|Collection,|} | | | | | | | | | | |
|British |} ” ” ” |
|Museum |} | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. B. H. |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 53⅛| 12½ | .. | .. | .. | ” |
|Hodgson, |} ” ” ” |
|British |} | | | | | | | | | | |
|Museum |} | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|British |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 53 | 12⅛ | .. | .. | .. | ” |
|Museum |} ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Hume |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 52¾| 18¼ | .. | 30½| 44⅛|Bull|
|Collection,|} ” ” ” |
|British |} | | | | | | | | | | |
|Museum |} | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|British |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 52 | 16¾ | .. | .. | .. | ” |
|Museum |} ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Colonel |}115| 47 | 99 | 20 | 60 | .. | .. | 99 | .. | .. | ” |
|Kinloch |} ‘Large Game Shooting’ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ” ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 122 | .. | .. |Cow |
| | ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ” ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 151 | .. | .. |Bull|
| | Quoted ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ” ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |{over}| .. | .. |Cow |
| | | | | | | | |{156 }| | | |
| | Quoted ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Sterndale’s|}123| .. | .. | .. | 76 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
|‘Mammalia’ |} | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Captain |}.. | .. | .. | .. | 64 | 48 | .. | .. | .. | .. |Bull|
|Lamb |} | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Average of |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 48 | 18 | .. | .. | .. |Bull|
|good head |}.. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 50 | 12 | .. | .. | .. |Cow |
+-----------+----+----+-----+----+----+----+-----+------+----+----+----+

Kinloch gives an account of a bull charging elephants both before and after being wounded. When they have thoroughly made up their minds to fight, buffaloes will, as a rule, carry out their plans most resolutely; but wild ones, though in a less degree, have the same kind of slow-wittedness that is so remarkable in tame buffaloes. If a European rides past a herd of tame buffaloes in some rather out-of-the-way district where Europeans are scarce, some of the herd are sure to begin pondering on the advisability of charging him, but before they can make up their minds, the object of their attentions has got beyond reach and they give up the problem. The average size of a good bull’s horns is about 40 ins. in length by 16 ins. in girth, or about 8 ft., measuring from the tip of one horn round the curve across the forehead and up the other horn. It is somewhat unfortunate that sportsmen should have selected this style of measurement, as it gives a poor idea of the comparative size of horns.

Forsyth and Kinloch both agree that a front shot is rarely successful against buffaloes, owing to the angle at which their heads are carried and the enormous thickness of their chests. Forsyth recommends hardened bullets, as he found two ounce bullets of soft lead propelled by eight drachms of powder flattened on their shoulders, pulverising the bone but not penetrating to the vital parts. Williamson describes shooting buffaloes out of boats in flood-time, and says that the point to aim at in this sport is to get the beast into such deep water that he cannot lower his head to use his horns.

As for using dogs for buffalo, Forsyth’s experience with a wounded bull was not a happy one; he writes: ‘The dogs were now loosed, and bayed round him till he began to chase them all round the field; but as soon as our heads appeared over the fringe of grass, he left them and charged down at ourselves.’ In spite of one of the dogs pinning him by the nose, the bull made good his charge, knocking Forsyth’s rifle out of his hand and upsetting his companion.

XXII. SAMBUR (_Rusa Aristotelis_)

_Generally, ‘Sambur’ or ‘Maha’; in Gurwhal, ‘Jerow’ or ‘Barasingh’_

The sambur is found throughout the lower slopes of the Himalayas from the eastern bank of the Sutlej river (Kinloch points out that the Sutlej seems to be its boundary), and extends all over India and Ceylon to the south, and through Assam and Burmah as far as the Malay Peninsula to the south-east, wherever there are forest-clad hills. It does not ascend to any great elevation, being rarely found above an altitude of 5,000 or 6,000 ft. It seems to delight in heat, not, indeed, of the sun, as it is as careful of its complexion as a gooral, but of hot stony hills and stifling ravines covered with thick forest.

Sambur appear to require very little water, drinking, according to Sterndale, only every third day--a fact which the writer’s experience entirely confirms.

The general colour of the stag is dark sepia, the chin and inside of limbs yellowish-white, and an orange-yellow patch on the buttocks. The dirty yellow patch on the chin is sometimes very striking, and looks as if the stag had the skin of a pale orange in his mouth. The tail is large, the hair being coarse and very dark brown; and on the neck there is a shaggy coarse ruff. The ears are large and coarse, rounded in shape, nearly black, and almost hairless. Sterndale calls the sambur a noble creature, but compared with the Cashmere stag, red deer, or wapiti, he looks an ugly, coarse, underbred brute. The horns are massive, with a long brow antler and a bifurcated top, and in good specimens are about 40 ins. in length; longer horns are obtained occasionally, but not often. As the sambur is almost entirely nocturnal in its habits, it is most commonly shot in drives, and in many places it is almost impossible to obtain sambur otherwise; but where it can be managed, stalking is, of course, far better fun. The sportsman should be on his ground just before daylight, and work slowly through the forest at the edge of the feeding grounds, taking the bottom of the hill if there are crops on the plain below, or, failing these, the edges of the open glades in the forest. Presently, if there are any sambur about, he will hear their trumpet-like call, and, creeping on, see two or three dark forms moving among the trees. In the grey of the morning it is often very hard to distinguish a stag from a hind, and the writer has on several occasions had to wait after viewing the herd till there was light enough to pick his stag. Even in broad daylight it is difficult to judge the size of a stag’s horns as he stands motionless in the deep gloom of the forest, and what little can be seen of them makes them look three times their real size--the beam is so massive and the tines so long. The stag, too, is such a big beast, standing nearly a hand taller than a barasingh, that if seen in the open he looks as big as an Irish elk.

If the sportsman fails to intercept any stags on their return from their feeding grounds by working along the base of the hill, he should next ascend the hill and try the cup-like basins which are so often found near the summits. Sambur are very fond of these spots, but a first-rate local shikari is necessary to show the way to them, as there is often no sign of the existence of such places from the foot of the hill, the trees appearing to grow taller in them on purpose to hide them from observation from below. The approach to them is often up a heartbreaking boulder-strewn slope, which apparently continues to the summit. Up this the sportsman toils, thinking his shikari must have lost his way, when suddenly he comes upon a dark cool glen, and in it there is pretty sure to be a herd. The above applies chiefly to the isolated hills which rise out of the plains in Central India; in ranges like the Sewaliks the best plan is to walk along the top of a ridge, examining the ravines below, and in the grass on the crest of these ridges will often be found places where sambur have been lying down under the trees, the form being carefully chosen so that the shade of the tree will be over it during the hottest part of the day. Many pleasant little incidents may occur during an early morning stroll in the Sewaliks; kakur, gooral, and chital afford tempting shots if the sportsman likes to vary his bag, and an occasional bear, leopard, or tiger may be met with. One sportsman met a tiger almost face to face just as he gained the crest of a ridge. The man only had a light single-barrel rifle, so he wisely refrained from attack under the circumstances, and, the tiger being a well-behaved deer-stalking beast, the two passed the time of day and parted. Wild elephants, too, are not uncommon in certain parts, so that altogether there is always a chance of finding amusement. What fun there must have been in the Sewaliks in the days of the Ganesa mammoth and the four-horned moose-like sivatherium! Their remains in the British Museum make one’s mouth water to think of them.