156 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



game and lesser wild life — by wise general laws, by the pro- 

 hibition of the commercialism which destroys whole species 

 for the profit of a few individuals, and by the creation of 

 national reserves for wild life — is essentially a democratic 

 movement. It is a movement in the interest of the aver- 

 age citizen, and especially in the interest of the man of small 

 means. Wealthy men can keep private game preserves and 

 private parks in which they can see all kinds of strange and 

 beautiful creatures; but the ordinary men and women, and 

 especially those of small means, can enjoy the loveliness and 

 the wonder of nature, and can revel in the sight of beautiful 

 birds, only on terms that will permit their fellow-citizens 

 the like enjoyment. In other words, the people as a whole, 

 through the government, must protect wild life, if the peo- 

 ple as a whole are to enjoy it. This applies to game also. 

 If there are intelligent game laws honestly and efficiently 

 administered, then any man of sufficient skill and hardi- 

 hood, who can once a year get a holiday of a week or two, 

 will be able to enjoy healthy sport during that week or 

 two and kill one wapiti or one white-tailed deer or a dozen 

 or score of quail, or duck, or prairie-chicken, accordingly 

 as the legal game-bag limit permits, and accordingly as his 

 skill enables him to take advantage of this permission. 

 The ever-growing numbers of those who do not wish to 

 shoot, but who do love to see the wild creatures, can study 

 them in the most fascinating of all zoological gardens, that 

 is, in wild nature, wherever there are good game preserves. 

 Many thousands of people can travel through the Yellow- 

 stone Park and there see deer and antelope, sheep, elk, and 

 bear, in the most interesting fashion; in time they will be 

 able to repeat this experience along the edges of the Grand 



