292 BEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52 



the preservation of a species, are almost invariably unpopular with 

 the majority of the public, for game is a highly esteemed table deli- 

 cacy, for which no satisfactory substitute has ever been discovered, 

 pleasing, indeed, to the palate of rich and poor alike, and, while every- 

 one eats, it is the miriorit^^ only who can be expected to appreciate and 

 view the diminishing numbers of any particular variety with alarm, 

 and with sufficient unselfishness to be willing to sacrifice their epicurean 

 or sporting proclivities for the good of future generations. 



Many varieties of game retain to a great extent their character- 

 istics of hide, fur, or plumage under varying climatic conditions, so 

 that in legislating for the protection of any individual species, it was. 

 found neecssary to forbid trade in that species in any shape or form 

 during the closed season, in order to make that closed season really 

 effective, for there w^as usually no practical means of distinguishing 

 the imported from the native variety, and, if the former were on the 

 market, no ^amount of legislation could prevent the latter appearing 

 there also. 



The principle is most undoubtedly sound, and not only for the 

 above reason, but because, also, the onward march of conditions lead- 

 ing to the necessity for protection is very similar always in contiguous 

 provinces and states, and the closing of the markets in all is a surer 

 guarantee of protection than an^^ measure each, individually and alone, 

 could ever have devised, for it removes the possibility of trade on a large 

 scale at a profit. 



Where, however, no inter-provincial or inter-state affiliation of in- 

 terests need be considered, and where the importation for sale of a 

 species from a foreign country, to which no harm will be done by 

 such importation, will mean the placing of a certain variety on the 

 market at such a price as not to tempt the local market hunter to 

 slaughter the indigenous species in competition, or where there is 

 convincing evidence that such importation will not affect the demand 

 for the indigenous animal, it would seem that the principle of the pro- . 

 hibition of the sale of that particular species during the closed season 

 could be safely and advantageously departed from. Certain classes of 

 game lend themselves readily to domestic raising and in some of the 

 states of the Union the raising of game in captivity has already been 

 placed on a profitable commercial basis, thus creating a new industry, 

 and affording a variety in food to the people at a reasonable price, 

 both highly desirable objectives from an economic point of view. Legis- 

 lation to allow for the sale all the year round of game thus raised has 

 not as yet been perfected, and requires considerable elaboration of 

 machinery, in order to be feasible under existing protective la\^"s, so 

 that, outside of drawing to Your Honour's attention this new industry, 

 and its economic value, and the advisability of preparing for its intro- 

 duction into this Province, your Commissioner will not in this interim 

 report deal with the question of game farms, but will confine himself 



