This was at a time when guns were first heard in the interior of Ceylon, and the animals had never been shot at.

Since that time the decrease in the game of Ceylon has been immense.

Every year increases the number of guns in the possession of the natives, and accordingly diminishes the number of animals.

From the change which has come over many parts of the country within my experience of the last eight years, I am of opinion that the next ten years will see the deer-shooting in Ceylon completely spoiled, and the elephants very much reduced.

There are now very few herds of elephants in Ceylon that have not been shot at by either Europeans or natives, and it is a common occurrence to kill elephants with numerous marks of old bullet wounds.