104 SHOOTING AT THE EDGE OF A JUNGLE.
llinish, and Hies as lionvy as a crow, tii reeds iiiu! bnll-nislics slanding at the
.Hlijes of pools. Llu'V are ol'leii miinerous. Tlicir ilcsli is by no means delicate.
T l u ' v live cliieny ori water weeds, whicli arc loiiiid in lliem wlieii killed.
The lloriken is a species of ihe biislard, but never, I believe, g rows lo tlie size
of what liavc I)een considered as a fair average in England. I think ihe largest
I ever saw wonld nol weigh so much as a moderate sized goose. This bird is
p e c u l i a r l y characterised by a pink-eolonre.l <lo^v„ lo every feather, and by its
having only three toes lo each fool. The cock is a noble bird, but its fligbl is
very heavy and avvkward ; consecjueiitly when williin reach, wiiich, however,
i . very diilicult io eilect, is easily brought down. But if only a wing be broken,
or the great body of the charge be nol lodged very forcibly in him, he •will run
olVat such a rale as would baffle most spaniels. The iloriken has fine game
pbimage. with a short olive coloured beak, a lung neck ani long legs; the cock
has beiUUifiil black hackles penchmt aroinid his neck, especially near ihe ears;
n h i c h are leathor-botind. The rims of the eyes are reddish, and the tips of the
wing.'! whi te. There are several kinds of the lloriken ; but their chief variation
is l,rt!ie form of the bead and beak. The bastard lloriken is much smaller, hut
has all llie characteristic points, except the black hackles and while wings, of
the larger kind. The latter are most commonly seen single, or, at most in
paii-s ; hcreas the bastards are often found eight oi- ten logellier. Both kinds
f r c p i e n t ihc same sort of cover : they delight in grassy plains, keeping clear,
like antelopes, of heavy covers, in which, however, when in danger , lliey are very
r e a d y lo hide themselves. They are wonderfully shy; and will rather take to
an open plain, where they can see and be seen a mileofl' .lhan venture wher e they
may be taken by .surprise. Their ilesb is esteemed a delicacy : and their breasts
aris like some kinds of (piaii, compo>,ed of white and l)rown intermixed. Such
as feed on the/W- are suppo.sed to be bitter ; but those found in \\\e puttayrah,
or upland bull-rushes, are generally the largest ami besl llavourcd.
Hares arc as luimerous in India as in any other country. 1 have often started
l.hirty or forty in a morning, and have been so successful more than once as lo
b r i n g home eight or nine. I once shot eleven in the same <lay. it is common
lo put up three or four from ihe same palch of grass. However, there is not a
Willi rabbi t to be seen throughout the country.
Towards the conclusion of the cold season, thai is lo say, about the beginning
of March, the ortolans make their appearance, and assemble in such flights as
can be com])ared to notliing better than lo an immense swarm of bees. They
are partial lo stubbles, and new ]>loiigiied land ; in the latter il is extremely
diflficult to distinguish tliem. They are uiosl numerous in April, and May,
especially if the squalls of ^^ilul and rain called north-we.sters, be not frequent.
Those violent gusts disperse them. In clear, hot weather, perhapK a score of
large {lights may be seen in various directions : they arc not very diilicult to
a p p r o a c h ; indeed whole flights will .someliines settle close to persons who
ha))pen to be on a favourite or inviting spot. Though many be killed by firiog
a t random, while the cover is on the ground, it is best to lake l;bem on the
wing. Major Dncarel, whose monument opposite Daudpore House has been
described, once killed more than thirlcen dozen by one discharge of dusl-shot at
a flight thai passed close to him.
^Vild pigeons abound every where, but more especially to the northward.
T h e y live chiefly in banks and old buildings. Tlie green |>igeon is cliicny lo be
found in [\\ii peepul and burghiU trees; the berries of the former, which are
somewhat like sniall unripe figs, are their favourite food, but couiniunicale a
v e r y hitler taste to their flesh. These birds may frequently be seen lo enter a
tree, in large flights, but on approaching, not one will be visible. I have often
walked round and round a tree full in leaf, in which I bad seen hundreds lake
shelter, wi thout being able to distinguish one ! Thei r colour is so similar to tfiat
of the foliage, that, added lo their trick of hanging like a parrot by their legs,
it requires mucli vigilance and steadiness to discover ihem. They are as large
as the common tame pigeon ; of which India may be considered the head
q u a r t e r s . The Mussulmans rear immense numbers; and the late Nabob Vizier
Asoph ul Dowlah was so fond of them that he appropriated very large buildings
and great sums of money for their maintenance. At a mud fort about ten miles
from Liicknow, I saw one of his collections, amounting lo at least twenty
t h o u s a n d pigeons, divided into llighls according to their several colours: each
covey was perfectly uniform. The most beautiful was a flight of wliite birds,
w i t h bright purple head.'» and necks. They were very numerous ; I doubt not
but I am rather under the mark in estimating them at twelve hundred. The
keepers at my request , put the whol e collection on the wing, when they absolutely
d a r k e n e d the air. The display was far beyond my expectation ; bul I should
have enjoyed it more, had 1 not rellerted that at that very moment thousands of
t h e Nabob' s subjects were dying daily for the want of lhal grain which was
lavished in sup[)orl of so useless a vanity.
I n shooting, or indeed whenever there is occasion to beat a cover, not only
t h e kind of game sought will generally be found, but probably sonie of every
species. It is common to start deer and hares while questing for peacocks or
p a r l r i i l g e s ; and on arriving at the banks of a tank oTjed, often one or more
wild bogs wilt be found wallowing or rooting for cassaroo.s, ami singharras.
T h e small tree in the front ground of the Plate, which a|)pears something
like a fan, is the aianner in which the palniira or toddy tree makes its/Irsl
a p p c a r a n c e . 'I'he tree in the back grounil with horizonlal branches and red
catkins, is the scemvl, or cotton tree. The |)ods contain a short-grained silky
sort of floss, which is used in India for slnfling bcd.s, &c. It is extremel y soft,
a n d very warm. The wood is uncommonly light, and is worked up for swords
c a b b a r d s , &c. but is very subject lo he worm-eatim. The stem of the tree is
covered with obtuse covers, ending in very sharp spines. After shedding the
COIIOD pods, which open with the sun's heat, and disperse their contents, the
t r e e assumes a beautiful green foliage.
P L A T E XXVIIL.
DRIVING A BEAR OUT OF SUGAR CANES.
Many persons have disputed the existence of bears in India, and as a foundation
for their objections on a subject of which they were totally ignorant, they
assert, that, owing to its heavy coat of hair, il is adapted to a coUl climate only !
In reply it may be expedient to remark, thai a variety of birds and beasts, with
l i t t l e difference in their plumage or furs, are found indigenous throughout the
h a b i t a b l e worid. The crow, the sparrow, and the snallow, are met with every
w h e r e ; and the dog, horse, and other quadrupeds abound in both hot and cold
t e m p e r a t u r e s . The objection made is plausible, and with such as do not understand
the matter, or do nol consider for themselves, it may appear to easy conviction.
Facts, however, impose a silence on all attempts at reasoning on the
p o i n t ; for, to the great annoyance of the villagers, bears not only exist in
I n d i a , but do much mischief lo the crops, and occasionally devour many of the
i n h a b i t a n t s .
T h e Bengal bear is dist inguished by the deep black colour of his hair, and by
a crescent of white hair, like a gorgel, on his breast. The hind legs are shorter,
and the paws flatter and longer than those of the European breed ; his pace is
more shufiling, awkward, and laboured, thougli (juick enough to over take a man
on foot ; and his hair is long and thinly scattered over his body. He is remarka
b l y active in climbing ; frequently when nol more than a month old a cub will
ascend to the shoulder of his keeper with great ease, and desccnd again, stern
foremost, with equal adroitness.
Bears are partial to trees, into which they occasionally mount for aniiisemenf,
o r in search of ants; of which they arc very fond, and find great numbers in
mango and other trees. Their principal shelter and resort is commonly under
steep unfrequented banks; where they often take possession of natural cavities,
o r enlarge burrows made by jackals and other animals. They are of a most
sanguinary disposition, and will chew and suck at a limb, till it be a perfect
p u l p , and both to the touch and in appearance precisely like a sausage. They
d o not bite away the flesh like most beasts of prey, but prefer extracting tlie
blood and juices by suction : neither will ihey touch what has been killed by
other animals. When surprised, or pursued closely, they assume an erect position,
s c r a t c h i n g and endeavouring to embrace their assailants. They are very impetuous
ill iheir attacks, in which they proceed open mouthed, with a sharp
s n a r l i n g kind of bark ; this produces an Incredible efTect on most animals, but
more especially on horses ; which are with great d lili c u l ly brought to approach
them, even when in chase. The alarm is doubtlessly occasioned by the unusual
and uncouth appearance of llie boar, which waddles in a very ludicrous manner
f r om side to side, very differently from the generality of quadrupeds.
Experience proves that horses are, in general, more afraid of small than of
l a r g e animals; thougli at first view we might entertain an opinion perfectly
c o n t r a r y . They shew little uneasiness, in the presence of camcls, which, except
in the case of individuals that are perfectly vicious, may he considered as sufBciently
passive. At least when we consider the tempers of most of the domesticated
animals in India, we shall find that the camel, is not of the most vicious
disposition. Great care is necessary in approaching them; especially while
loading, when they for the most part express great impatience, and growl in a
very unpleasant tone : nor do they refrain from taking a bite if opportunity
offers. They do nol snap and let go as dogs do, bul having once fairly made a
seizure, retain their hold In spite of every eflbrl lo obtain a release, and ^vitl
sometimes sutler themselves not simply to be bealen or burnt with firebrands on
such occasions, bul even lo be killed witlioul giving up the point! Of this I
was once an eye-witness. Horses certainly do nol approach elephants without
some diffldence, but this originates wi t h the elephant, which being uncommonly
averse from all ((uadrupeds, especially from one at all towards its rear, and being
loo greatly alarmed at the clattering of a horse's hoofs, shifts about from side to
side, snorling, and evincing much uneasiness. This agitation alarms the horse,
which, were the elephant lo proceed in a regular manner, would rarely hesitate
to bear it company iu the most sociable slyle.
Bears are very fond of ants, for which they will dig to a great depth, tearing
u p their nests, and making cavities suilicienl lo bury themselves. The several