1052 



Canadian Forestry Journal, April, 1917 



In such refuges or reserves animals 

 may live undisturbed and increase in 

 sufficient numbers to form a constant 

 supply for the unprotected areas out- 

 sicle the reserves. They constitute 

 nuclei, as it were, for the supply of 

 animals and the animals soon learn 

 to know where they can secure 

 sanctuary, and seek such refuges for 

 that purpose. Dr. Hewitt called 

 attention to the fact that sportsmen 

 usually select, in the case of deer, 

 the animals with the largest heads as 

 these are usually the most virile, and 

 that the continued destruction of the 

 best males would result in a degenera- 

 tion of the race. Such protection in 

 reserves would provide a corrective 

 to this tendency and would also pro- 

 vide an excess of males. 



Enforcement Often Weak 



Good laws have been made by the 

 Provincial Governments and laws 

 should be especially provided for the 

 protection of the females. Proper 

 open seasons, and a bag limit in the 

 case of wild fowl are restrictions that 

 are especially necessary. But, good 

 game laws are useless unless properly 

 enforced, and the great lack in 

 Canada at the present time is the 

 proper enforcement of the laws al- 

 ready on the statute books. The 

 different Provinces have good game 

 laws, but in many cases there is room 

 for improvement. 



Guarding Migratory Birds 



The importance of the International 

 Treaty for the protection of migratory 

 birds in United States and Canada, 

 which has been recently passed, was 

 emphasized and the provisions of the 

 Treaty outlined. The main points of 

 this Treaty, which pertains to the 

 protection of our migratory birds 

 passing between the United States 

 and Canada are first, the prohibition of 

 the destruction, at any time of the 

 year, of any insect destroying birds 

 important to agriculture or forestry 

 and secondly, the prohibition of spring 

 shooting of wild fowl such as ducks, 

 geese, etc., and the restricting of the 

 open season to three and one-half 

 months. It was stated that this was 

 the most important single measure 

 ever taken with a view to the pro- 

 tection of wild life. The excellent 



work of the Commission of Con- 

 servation in the direction of protect- 

 ing wild life, particularly the endeavor 

 that the Commission is making to 

 have the bird rocks in the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence made into a bird sanc- 

 tuary, and the recent appointment 

 of an Advisory Board on Wild Life 

 Protection by the Government are 

 indications that the Dominion Gov- 

 ernment is alive to the necessity of 

 taking steps to conserve our wild life 

 and to secure a proper utilization and 

 enjoyment by the people. 



How Each Can Help 

 Finally, the lecturer dealt with the 

 means by which the individual might 

 help in the carrying out of the prin- 

 ciples of wild life conservation. He 

 laid particular emphasis on the neces- 

 sity of education and co-operation of 

 interested individuals who should 

 form game protective associations 

 with a view not only to educating the 

 people, but also in order to assist 

 legislatures in game protective legis- 

 lation and to secure the proper en- 

 forcement. The main points to be 

 remembered are that wild life cannot 

 be replaced if it is once destroyed; it 

 is a trust, and the enjoyment of every 

 citizen, but unless we take steps to 

 impress upon people the necessity of 

 conservation it is a resource which 

 will disappear; and lastly, that of our 

 many resources, it is one that we 

 cannot afford to lose. 



The white pine berth IF, in the 

 Mississaga Reserve was sold recently 

 by the Ontario Government to Mr. 

 Robert McKay, who was the highest 

 tenderer, the price paid being $7.50 

 per thousand feet, in addition to the 

 dues. It is understood that Mr. Mc- 

 Kay was representing other parties 

 in making this purchase. 



Newsprint manufacturers in On- 

 tario are of the opinion that a state- 

 ment recently made by Sir Adam 

 Beck in an address before the Hydro- 

 Electric Union of Municipalities 

 means that a large newsprint mill is 

 likely to be established in connection 

 with the Hydro-Electric Power Com- 

 mission of Ontario, some time in the 

 near future. 



