160 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



country might be re-colonised by the interesting 

 animals. Their abundance would be a great source 

 of pleasure to all who visit the delightful island, 

 and would add one more to the list of attractions 

 which it has to offer. The one condition which 

 has retarded the increase of the beaver is that the 

 law for their protection has been so often changed. 

 The harm done is that each time the close season 

 was drawing to an end, beavers were surreptitiously 

 killed in anticipation of the time when the skins 

 might legally be offered for sale. Then almost at 

 the last moment the close season would be extended 

 for another few years, very much to the disgust of 

 those who were storing skins at considerable risk, 

 for, justly enough, their discovery would mean a 

 heavy fine. It can scarcely be doubted that fair 

 numbers of beaver were killed by those who wanted 

 to be ahead of their neighbours, for competition 

 must have been keen. 



An animal which is as easily trapped or in other 

 ways killed, as the beaver, requires the most careful 

 protection, and laws should be considered with the 

 most thorough understanding of the conditions 

 governing their life and the trappers' powers. Had 

 the close season (in Newfoundland) terminated two 

 years ago, the entire good gained by the preceding 

 years would have been lost. For the trapper, 

 having learned by experience that laws can be made 

 and suddenly changed for the protection of the 

 beaver, would have made the most of the oppor- 



