THE WILD FAUNA OF TUB EMPIEE 11 



during the months of March, April, and June to the Authorities of 

 the West and East African Protectorates, Uganda and Somali- 

 land, and to the British South Africa Company, conveying the 

 views of our Society, and inviting suggestions on the best way of 

 carrying them into effect. 



We received early in February, from Lord Elgin, the new 

 Secretary of State for the Colonies, copies of the replies to the 

 despatches mentioned above, with the notification that he would 

 be glad if the Society would favour him with any recommenda- 

 tions on the subject. As a result of this invitation another depu- 

 tation was received by him on June 15, before which date our 

 Hon. Sec. had forwarded to the Colonial Secretary a carefully 

 considered statement of our views and recommendations. A full 

 report of the proceedings on that occasion will be found in the 

 pages of this Report, and it need only be remarked here that we 

 had the valuable support of Lord Curzon, who spoke warmly in 

 aid of the objects of the Society. Lord Elgin, while guarding 

 himself with official caution in the matter of Finance, spoke with 

 decided approval of our recommendations and promised 'sym- 

 pathy, consideration, and. assistance as far as it was in his power.' 

 Later in the year, on July 30, Mr. Winston Churchill, replying 

 to Sir Clement Hill in the House of Commons, stated that Lord 

 Elgin was in communication with the various Authorities in 

 Africa ' with a view to giving effect as far as possible to the views 

 of the Deputation.' Finally, in November a Blue Book was issued 

 entitled, ' Africa : Correspondence relating to the preservation of 

 wild animals [Cd. 3189] 1906,' giving a mass of reports, ordin- 

 ances, and correspondence from 1896 to 1906. Unfortunately 

 this important public document breaks off somewhat abruptly, and 

 we are left in doubt whether some of the most urgent and neces- 

 sary recommendations of the Society will be carried out or not. 

 The most pressing of these is the immediate establishment of an 

 adequate Game Preservation Staff in British East Africa. 



We have therefore reproduced in this number the very im- 

 portant letter and memorandum on the subject of the Game 

 Ranger's Department in that Protectorate by Mr. F. J. Jackson, 

 an eminently competent authority, and his accompanying estimate 

 for this, if the Fauna in British East Africa is to be protected. 

 This estimate amounts to .€2,344 per annum, instead of the paltry 

 sum and futile machinery hitherto allotted to this purpose. The 

 Society has continuously urged on the Foreign Office, and latterly 

 on the Colonial Office, that the large revenue derived from Game 

 licences amply justifies such an expenditure, and we rejoice to 

 hear, as we go to press, that Mr. Jackson's recommendations are 

 being favourably considered. 



A great deal of poaching has undoubtedly been going on even 

 within the Southern Eeserve during the past summer, chiefly, so it 

 was said, by marauding bands of Boers, who crossed the frontier 

 from German territory. A special officer was temporarily ap- 

 pointed to look after the Game, particularly in connection with 



