THE VIRGINIA DEER 145 



number of white-tail deer which were more tame than 

 I ever saw them in the West. One of them ran out of 

 the water and stood within easy range of a shot-gun 

 while we passed down the river in a boat. Upon ex- 

 pressing my surprise, our boatman said that he had 

 recently counted seventy-eight deer in a field within 

 a few hundred yards of the club-house. These deer 

 are restrained by no fence. The club is less than fifty 

 miles from New York City. What better evidence 

 could we have of the benefits of game preserving? 



better argument can be advanced in favor of the present system of protec- 

 tion, and it is believed that local interests are steadily becoming convinced 

 that the laws as they exist are for the good of all concerned. 



From the statistics furnished by the American and the National Express 

 Companies, the following figures showing the shipments of deer have been 

 compiled : 



Year. Carcasses. Saddles. Heads. 



1903 1,961 145 188 



The percentage of increase in the shipments, which last season vi^as about 

 30 per cent., is seen this season to be more than 44 per cent, over that of the 

 previous year. Following the apparently reasonable rule that for each deer 

 shipped out, at least four others are killed in the woods, it can readily be seen 

 how greatly the deer have increased under our present laws. — Forest and 

 Streatn. From advance sheets of the Eighth Report of the New York State 

 Forest, Fish and Game Commission. 



