The jungles of the Indian subcontinent, home to an amazing array of wildlife, attracted many hunters and naturalists, several of whom have recounted their encounters with animals in the wild. This anthology brings together a wide-ranging selection of writings, covering mainly the period of the British Raj, about the hunt in its myriad forms.

The last century has witnessed a remarkable change in attitudes to wildlife, with the focus shifting from conquest for slaughter towards conservation. The new class of naturalists gives equal attention to smaller animals and trees, as evident in the pieces on the blackbuck, the wild dog, the turtle, the cobra, and the comings and goings at a waterhole in summer.