WILD-FOWLING IN FRANCE. 3G9 



English game certificate. It may be obtained on application at the 

 office of the mayor in any town; whose duty, though he cannot grant 

 it himself, is to transmit the application to the prefet of the departe- 

 ment ; and that official, if all is satisfactory, will immediately issue the 

 permis to the bureau des contributions directes in the town where 

 the application was first made ; it will then be delivered to the appli- 

 cant on payment of twenty-Jive francs. 



Private individuals have no right to demand from a sportsman the 

 production of his permis de chasse ; the only persons invested with 

 that authority are the mayor, his assistant or deputy, the garde- 

 champetre or forestier, and the gendarmes. 



In the event of a sportsman being found by either of these officials 

 shooting without a permis de chasse he will be taken before the 

 mayor of the commune in which the offence was committed. This 

 dignitaire is generally a village farmer, who exercises a sort of sum- 

 mary jurisdiction. 



The permis de chasse confers the personal privilege of hunting and 

 shooting throughout the entire kingdom of France for one year, com- 

 puted from the day of its date. 



By the game laws of France* it is provided that the prefets of the 

 several departments shall determine by formal decrees, duly promul- 

 gated at least ten days previously, the precise day on which the 

 chasse shall be. opened, and also that on which it shall be closed. 

 Shooting and hunting are strictly prohibited at any other time than 

 whilst the chasse is open. 



The prefets also determine, " 1. The proper time for shooting birds 

 of passage (except quails) and water-fowl. 2. The time during which 

 water-fowl may be shot in the marais districts, and upon ponds and 

 rivers." 



It is also provided that the prefets shall make proper regulations 

 " to prevent hunting and shooting while the ground is covered with 

 snow." 



The punishment inflicted upon persons infringing these laws is 

 fine and imprisonment, and the confiscation of the gun, nets, en- 

 gines, or implements employed. 



* Articles of 3rd May, 1844. 



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