PROTECTIVE MEASURES. 653 



instruct the workmen engaged in occupations endangering the 

 forest, such as charcoal or lime burning, what protective 

 measures they must adopt, and should see that his instructions 

 are followed. 



In the British Isles, in addition to the law regarding fires 

 caused by locomotives already referred to (p. 651), there is 

 a Scotch law (13 Geo. III., cap. 54), making it illegal to 

 burn muir or heath land in Scotland from llth April till 1st 

 of November, under penalties of 40s., 5, and 10 for first, 

 second and third offences, with alternative of imprisonment 

 for six weeks, two or three months respectively. 



During the dangerous season, the forest guards must be 

 constantly on the watch against fires, as well as the fire-patrols, 

 if it has been found necessary to engage additional men. 

 All contraventions of the State regulations regarding forest 

 fires should be at once reported to the police, or to a 

 magistrate. 



In order to prevent intentional firing of a forest, no privileges 

 to cut grass, or to graze, should be conceded on an area which 

 has been burned. 



In India difficulties arise with sportsmen, when from fear 

 of fires the forests are closed to shooting during a season which 

 would be otherwise open. Special permission is sometimes 

 given by Government to forest officers to open the forest 

 temporarily to shooting after a heavy shower of rain, during the 

 dry season, or in order to shoot tigers, or other destructive 

 beasts. The shelter afforded to game or noxious animals by 

 high grass near villages may become a great nuisance to the 

 villagers, and the forest officers should not carry the practice 

 of protection from fire too far in such cases, and it may even 

 be advisable to burn off worthless tracts of scrub forest or 

 grassland for pasturage, so as to keep public opinion on the side 

 of the forester. On the other hand, Indian State forest officers 

 have direct power to arrest offenders, and to call on all forest 

 right-holders and workmen to assist in extinguishing a fire, 

 and in certain cases, privileges and rights to forest produce 

 may be temporarily suspended by the Government, in cases of 

 wilful firing of a forest by villagers, or their refusing assistance 

 when once a fire has broken out. 



