THE WILD FAUNA OF THE EMPIRE 



THE YEAR. 



The year which has elapsed since the publication of our first 

 number has been characterised by some developments of interest 

 to our members. 



A considerable accession to the membership of our Society has 

 taken place. There are now seventy ordinary members and thirty 

 honorary members. We invite all these to bring in further 

 recruits, who will help us to promulgate the principles of the 

 Society, which may be summarised in the words of our motto, 

 ' Live and Let Live,' by which we mean that while it is perfectly 

 legitimate to take toll of wild animals, yet the fauna of the Empire 

 and especially the larger game which experience shows to be in 

 danger of extermination, is something to be cherished and safe- 

 guarded, not wantonly squandered. 



Among our new members it is satisfactory to find a number of 

 the ablest and most long-sighted of the administrators in our 

 Colonies and Dependencies. The growth of a strong public 

 opinion favourable to our views among those responsible on 

 the spot for the administration of the Empire is regarded by us as 

 a most favourable symptom. Chief among them we are proud to 

 include Lord Cromer, Lord Minto, Lord Milner,Earl Grey, and Lord 

 Curzon.who are among our Vice-Presidents, and Sir Alfred Sharpe, 

 Sir Frederick Lugard, Sir Godfrey Lagden, Sir William Milton, and 

 Sir Arthur Lawley, thus covering a very large proportion of our 

 Empire beyond the Seas. The Colonial Secretary has also joinoi 

 Us, and this has an especial significance at the present time owing 

 to the transference to the Colonial Office of British East Africa, 

 Uganda, and British Central Africa, and to the rapid developments 

 of and railway extension in Northern Rhodesia. 



In this connection we may refer to the deputation of OUT 

 Society which waited upon Earl Grey, at that time Vice-Chairman 

 of the British South Africa Company, together with Mr. R. T. 

 Coryndon, the Commissioner of N.W. Rhodesia, who was then in 

 England. The interview had especial reference to a rumoured 

 permission to the contractor of the new railway to the Victoria 

 Falls and beyond to kill game for the feeding of his workmen. 

 as to which we feared, rightly or wrongly, lest the previous 

 destruction which has notoriously followed such an arrangement 

 Would be repeated. We bate been recently informed, on 

 authority, that the native labourers employed on the railway 

 Me particularly well looked after, and that no game is shot 

 for the use of the men on the construction work. 



