THE PRESERVATION OF GAME. 235 



tendency is undoubtedly to " make hay whilst the sun shines " and take the pick of 

 the trophies, for the next comer may be a farmer who will shoot the picked trophies 

 for meat or simply because they are a menace to his crops, and will care nothing 

 for the heads. 



Some land or area definitely set aside for the benefit of sportsmen, or even 

 run by a syndicate of sportsmen, would ensure that every sportsman would reap 

 the advantages of his brother sportsmen's moderation in shooting. 



I have often heard surprise expressed that the Government should be so 

 stony-hearted as to claim the trophy of any animal shot in self-defence. Supposing, 

 for instance, you have already shot two rhinos, and a third charges the safari and 

 is killed in so doing, the trophy must be handed in to the Government, which 

 certainly seems rather hard luck. However, rules are framed for weak mortals, 

 and game-rules are no exception. If everybody in this world was absolutely 

 incorruptible, there would be no need for this or many other rules. Unfortunately, 

 even as rules stand, it requires only a slight flaw in any one of them, and there 

 will always be found people ready to profit by the slip. If a sportsman was allowed to 

 keep the trophy of any rhino that charged him, just think of the number of men 

 who would annually be charged several times by rhinos, and also think what an 

 evil reputation this already blackly-painted animal would gain. 



There is one great enemy of game I should like to see "got at," and that is the 

 rash, long-range, bad shot who wounds many animals to obtain a single head. Such 

 an one generally manages to fairly well fill up his licence, as regards the plain- 

 dwellers, by sheer expenditure of ammunition. He is really in the position of one 

 who has considerably over-shot his licence, for he has killed or caused the deaths of 

 many more animals than his licence allows. Yet no legal action can be taken 

 against him. 



In places where much shooting goes on, I have often been attracted by vultures 

 to the carcase of some animal which has evidently been killed by bullets, but which has 

 never been recovered by the shooter, and hence has not been counted on his licence. 



I should like to see some arrangement by which, in place of so many animals 

 being allowed on a licence, only so many shots at each of certain species should be 

 permitted. Such an arrangement would effectually put a stop to the long-ranger and 

 the rash shot. It would, indeed, tend to make everyone more careful of their shots 

 and make them shoot to kill only, and not fire vaguely in the hopes of hitting an 

 animal somewhere. I am afraid, though, that such a rule is impracticable unless 

 every shooter had a detective at his heels. Failing this, however, in the interests of 

 game I think that everyone who takes out a Hcence should pass some sort of a shooting 



