from the nose to the tip of the tail, and is of the
same genus as the civet cat. Unfortunately, he does not confine his
destruction to vermin, but now and then pays a visit to a hen-roost,
and sometimes, poor fellow! he puts his foot in the traps.

Ceylon can produce an enticing catalogue of attractions, from the
smallest to the largest of the enemies to the human race--ticks, bugs,
fleas, tarantulas, centipedes, scorpions, leeches, snakes, lizards,
crocodiles, etc., of which more hereafter.

CHAPTER VI.

"Game Eyes" for Wild Sports--Enjoyments of Wild Life--Cruelty of
Sports--Native Hunters--Moormen Traders--Their wretched Guns--Rifles
and Smooth-bores--Heavy Balls and Heavy Metal--Beattie's Rifles--Balls
and Patches--Experiments--The Double-groove--Power of Heavy
Metal--Curious Shot at a Bull Elephant--African and Ceylon
Elephants--Structure of Skull--Lack of Trophies--Boar-spears and
Hunting-knives--"Bertram"--A Boar Hunt--Fatal Cut.

In traveling through Ceylon, the remark is often made by the tourist
that "he sees so little game." From the accounts generally written of
its birds and beasts, a stranger would naturally expect to come upon
them at every turn, instead of which it is a well-known fact that one
hundred miles of the wildest country may be traversed without seeing a
single head of game, and the uninitiated might become skeptical as to
its existence.

This is accounted for by the immense proportion of forest and jungle,
compared to the open country. The nature of wild animals is to seek
cover at sunrise, and to come forth at sunset; therefore it is not
surprising that so few are casually seen by the passing traveler.
There is another reason, which would frequently apply even in an open
country. Unless the traveler is well accustomed to wild sports, he has
not his "game eye" open in fact; he either passes animals without
observing them, or they see him and retreat from view before he remarks
them.

It is well known that the color of most animals is adapted by Nature to
the general tint of the country which they inhabit. Thus, having no
contrast, the animal matches with surrounding objects, and is difficult
to be distinguished.

It may appear ridiculous to say that an elephant is very difficult to
be seen!--he would be plain enough certainly on the snow, or on a
bright green meadow in England, where the contrasted colors would make
him at once a striking object; but in a dense jungle his s