98 American Fisheries Society 



Amongst the most serious dangers now threatening 

 the existence of fish and game in the inland portions of 

 North America, I believe, we may count the rapid disap- 

 pearance, of the forests. The forest is the original guard- 

 ian of both fish and game. It furnishes to the first men- 

 tioned, pure, fresh and well aerated water, protected from 

 pollution by natural filtration and well capable of sustain- 

 ing life and of favoring activity. Open everywhere to the 

 air, full of freshness, and offering to wild game a suc- 

 culent food of buds and berries and a variety of herbs and 

 fruits, and protecting it from the heat of summer and the 

 biting blasts of winter, the forest, with its flooring of soft 

 moss affords it a hospitable shelter. The forest is so 

 necessary to many species of game that they desert the 

 locality when it is destroyed, but return when it reappears. 



In Scotland the former deer forests have largely dis- 

 appeared, and although certain moors are set apart for 

 the propagation of this species of game, Sir William 

 Shlich declares that the animals shot on these deer ranges 

 are nothing like the fine beasts found in woodland areas, 

 but that if a large part of the country was once more 

 brought under forest we should no doubt improve the 

 breed. 



In the middle ages, as well as in earlier and later cen- 

 turies, attempts were made to protect the woods by law, 

 both because of their necessity for the breeding of deer, 

 wild boars and other game, and for the purpose of fur- 

 nishing building material and fuel for future generations-. 

 In feudal times the creation of so-called forests for the 

 sole purpose of forming hunting grounds grew into an 

 abuse of public and private rights. William the Con- 

 queror is said to have destroyed sixty parishes and to have 

 driven out their inhabitants in order to form a forest for 

 his own hunting and that of his friends. It must be re- 

 membered, however, that the name forest was then given 



