5^0 GAMl-: AM) i;iK]) rR()TK<;TI()X. 



aninuils of onr siinii_\' country. The bontcbok is alre;ul\' in the 

 sacl position of the bison. 1'he springbok and Ijlesbok are now 

 a niere shadow of what they Avere in former times. It is the 

 duty of the present generation to see that tlie heritage left them 

 by tlieir forefathers is carried on for those that follow them, 

 their children and children's children. I cannot do better than 

 quote Ur. W. T. Hornaday. the Director of the New York 

 Zoological I 'ark, who in a well-illustrated ])am]jh]et of the Zoo- 

 logical Societ\' Bulletins entitled " Wild Life Preservation 

 Number," i)ul)lished m June, 1909, says: — 



As a duty which it owes to tlie people of America and to Science, 

 the iiroservation of wild life is one of the three great ohjects to which the 

 New York Zooloi^ical Society has constantly devoted attention and 

 effort. 



lie then gives ns 15 cardinal principles altecting wild game 

 and its ])ursuit, which he ])ro])osed on 17th April, h,)o8, and 

 called a " S])oriman's Platform": — 



1. The wild animal life of to-dav is ma to do with as we please. 

 The orii^inal stock is tiixen to us in trust, for the henelit hoth of the 

 present and the future. We must render an accountin.n iif this trust to 

 thos(.' who come after us. 



2. Judiiin.y from the rate at which the wild creatures of Xorth America 

 are now heint>- destroyed. 50 \ears hence there will l)e no lar.t^e game left 

 in the L'nited .States, nor in Canada outside <if ritii(lly-])rotected oame 

 reserxes. It is theref<u"e the dut>- of ex ery good citizen, to ])romote the 

 protection of forests and wild life, and the creation of game preserves 

 while a supi)ly of game remains. Every man who linds ])leasure 

 in Innning or fishing should he willing to .spend hoth time and money in 

 active work for the protection of forests, hsh and gann-. 



.^ The sale of game is incompatihle with the perpi'tual preservation 

 of a i)ro]KT stock of game; therefore it slmnld lie iiroliihited h\ laws 

 and !)>• puhlic sentiment. 



4. In the settled ;ind civilised regions of Xorth America, there is no 

 real iiecessitx' for the consinnption of w^ild game as human food, nor is 

 there any good excuse for the sale of game for food purposes. The 

 maintenance of hired lahourers on wild game should l>e iirohihited every- 

 where, under se\-ere penalties. 



5. An Indian has no more right to kill wild game, or to sul)sist upon it 

 all tlie year round, than any white man in the same locality. The Indian 

 has no inherent or God-given ownershi]) of the game of Xorth .America, 

 any more than of its mineral resources; and he should l)e governed hv 

 the same game laws as white men. 



6. X'o man can ])e a good citizen and also he a slaughterer of game or 

 fishes heyond the narrow limits comi)atihle with high-class sportsinanship. 



7. A game-hutcher or a m.arket hunter is an undesirahle citizen, and 

 shouU.l he treated as such. 



8. The highest purpose wliich the killing of wild game and game 

 fishes can hereafter be made to serve is in furnishing objects to over- 

 worked men for camping and tramping trips in the wilds ; and the value 

 of wild game as human food should no longer he rei^arded as an important 

 factor in its pursuit. 



9. If rightly conser\'ed, wild game constitutes a valuable asset to any 

 country which possesses it; and it is good statesmanship to protect if. 



to. An ideal hunting tri]) consists of a good cmnr.ade. line country, 

 and a very few troiihies per hunter. 



11. In an ideal hunting trip the death of the game is only an incident; 

 and by no means is it really necessary to a successful outing. 



12. The best hunter is the man who tinds the most game, kills the 

 least, and leaves liebind him no wi'uiuled rniimals. 



