276 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



of the grant of such permissions. In fact so delicate has this 

 question become that we would rather that the Supreme 

 Government had kept this power in their own hands. Latter- 

 day so-called scientific expeditions for the purpose of adding 

 specimens to great Museums, to provide cinematograph films 

 for alleged educational purposes, and so forth, have en- 

 tirely altered the aspect of this question. For in some 

 instances these so-called scientific missions have simply 

 become glorified slaughter and butcher expeditions financed 

 by a wealthy man in the name of science. The old-time 

 butcher has not disappeared. He still exists, and with 

 modern rifles his power for slaughter as we have seen is 

 infinitely more terrible. But he is held in check by modern 

 restrictions. He is unable to kill indiscriminately as he 

 wants to. If he is wealthy he endeavours to get over the 

 difficulty by fitting out a scientific (sic) expedition and so 

 evades the law. Events move so fast nowadays that what 

 would have been a perfectly safe clause a score of years ago, 

 in fact a clause marking a distinct progress by the Supreme 

 Government in its recognition of the claims of science, has 

 now become a danger to the very aims and objects of the 

 Act. Such a permit should never be allowed to take 

 effect in any Game Sanctuary and the permission to 

 kill in the name of Science should be retained by the 

 Supreme Government. Glorified slaughter is not scientific 

 research nor is it so considered by the great Museums in 

 whose name it is sometimes carried out. If such expeditions 

 are necessary it should always be possible to lay down 

 definitely the number of head of each species which may be 

 shot or trapped, specifying age, sex, etc. Every museum 

 will agree to such a restriction, and the wealthy butcher, 

 whose chief aim is to have a free hand in the forests, to 

 remain unhampered by restrictions and to kill everything 

 that gets up, would be kept in check. 



Further, in the case of cinema films, the cold-blooded 

 cruelty to trapped animals one sees depicted in these films- 

 baiting the poor beasts to make them show their " points," 

 trussing them up in most diabolical ways, etc., should be 

 absolutely prohibited and met by severe punishment. 



Section 8 deals with the old question of granting licences 

 to protect crops. The making of rules in this respect must, 

 of course, be left to Local Governments. This is obvious. 

 The question is now, I understand, being treated with a 



