444 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Dec. 



only very recently that the practice of snaring and trapping deer 

 by the most destructive contrivances had been put a stop to in 

 these Provinces. Among the improvements which it would be 

 desirable to effect in the existing Game Laws, especially in reference 

 to deer, the author suggested the following : To shorten the open 

 season, during the next few years at any rate ; to prevent foreigners 

 trespassing, particularly in making a trade of hunting our deer for 

 foreign markets ; to limit the number of deer which any one 

 may kill in a season, even by fair means, as is said to have been 

 done with good results in regard to Moose in Nova Scotia, or to 

 compel hunters to take out a licence ; to prohibit the use of "jacks '' 

 and all kinds of artificial lights ; and above all, to put a stop to the 

 barbarous and unsportsmanlike practice of driving the deer into 

 lakes and rivers with do2:s, and killin<2: the defenceless creatures 

 when in the water. 



A proper and permanent revision of the Game Laws could be 

 based only on a complete knowledge of the habits of the animals, 

 and the variations of these habits, according to locality, &c., and 

 of the various abuses and practices which it is desirable to prevent 



Messrs. Marler and McKay spoke of their knowledge, for years 

 past, of the haunts of some species of deer. 



Mr. Alfred Rimmer regretted that a Bill was before the 

 Legislature, limiting the close season to the 1st March. It was 

 very easy to kill fawns and deer, at this season, by running them 

 down and despatching them with clubs. Such sportsmen had 

 aptly been called " pot-hunters." He protested against the Bill, 

 as it would sanction a wholesalesalc destruction of deer, at a season 

 when they were not fit for food. He hoped this Society would 

 take some action in the matter. Another alteration made in this 

 Bill was one fixing the opening of duck shooting on the 1st August, 

 at which time the birds were only flappers, and could not fly. 

 He had learned that an immense business was done in duck, which 

 were largely consumed, and if killed this way, would soon, like 

 other birds, be extinct. 



Dr. Dawson said there were three aspects to this matter; one 

 was the extinction of species, another was that in which this 

 Society was most particularly concerned, the collection of informa- 

 tion about the habits of animals, and further what would be done 

 to protect wild animals. He suggested the appointment of a 

 committee to enquire into the subject. 



