File:The game-birds of India, Burma and Ceylon (1921) (14564862338).jpg

Identifier: gamebirdsofindia02bake (find matches)
Title: The game-birds of India, Burma and Ceylon
Year: 1921 (1920s)
Authors: Baker, E. C. Stuart (Edward Charles Stuart), 1864-1944
Subjects: Birds Game and game-birds
Publisher: London, Bombay Natural History Society
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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ass andcry. He then stalks within fifty or sixty yards, and again waitstill the bird jumps, and then runs as fast as he can towards the spot.The bird generally rises thirty or forty yards off, and there is a fairamount of excitement, if not of sport, in shooting them in this way. Captain Butler gives a similar description as follows:— For my part, I have always protested against the wholesaledestruction of these fine birds in the breeding-season, and tried veryhard when I was in Deesa to persuade sportsmen (!) to spare thehens. But it was of no use; they argued that if they did notshoot them someone else would, and consequently the Florican wasshown no mercy. The usual method of shooting them is to walk them up in line,when they rise usually within easy shot. They are easily killed, andI have seen longer shots made at Florican than any other bird Iknow. In fact they drop if you fire at them at almost any possibledistance (provided, of course, you hold the gun straight). At times, Pu
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^H t. ^ 3 !■!-,: ca t i« .« -w ■^ O %> - 1 W \ I ^ J i a: o 2 < , O E o J u. d: UJ w w LU f J Iff. ^ u. o . .- o 1 ■ r ^ < CQ< SYPHEOTIS AURITA 213 however, after being marked down, they are very difficult to find,as they commence running the moment they alight, and often get200 or 300 yards away before you reach the spot where you havemarked them down. But for this, scarcely a bird would escape. Again, Mr. James says :— The ordinary way in which a single gun pursues Florican isto walk through the grass, with a few beaters, listening for thecry of the bird and following it; in this way the bird can betracked for a considerable distance. Before very long the bird willbe seen jumping up above the long grass, as some think to pickgrasshoppers off the stems. The best way then is to run as hardas possible up to the place when the bird will rise. They drop veryeasily to shot, but when once flushed are difficult to flush again. All writers and sportsmen seem to concur i

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