CHAPTER XLI 

 THE PROTECTION AND PROPAGATION OF WILD LIFE 



IDEAS concerning the preservation of wild life have changed 

 within the past forty years, for whereas formerly only sports- 

 men were anxious to maintain a constant supply of game for 

 hunting purposes, now the general public is slowly coming to a 

 realization that unless our birds and mammals are protected 

 they will soon cease to exist. It is a well-established principle 

 that it is our duty to preserve the wild life of to-day for the benefit 

 of future generations. The steps necessary for such preserva- 

 tion are very simple and will not subject us to any particular 

 hardships. Only three out of every one hundred inhabitants 

 of this country are interested in killing birds and mammals, and 

 this small proportion might still be allowed to hunt in moderation 

 if proper laws were passed and enforced throughout the United 

 States. 



The Need of Protection. There has been a constant decrease 

 in the number of our birds and mammals ever since this country 

 was colonized. Part of this decrease has been brought about 

 by the ordinary effects of civilization, such as the building of 

 cities, the cutting down of forests, and the draining and cultivation 

 of land. Animals that have been driven away in this manner are, 

 of course, lost to us, but we cannot be held responsible for their 

 disappearance. Only a small proportion of them, however, have 

 been eliminated in this way. Each year about half a million 

 shotguns and five million cartridges are sold in this country for 

 hunting purposes. In 1911, 1,486,228 hunting licenses were 

 issued in twenty-seven of our states. Many persons, however, 



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