THE WILD FAUNA OF THE EMPIEE 



17 



the inhabitants of that town go in fear of the lions and that the 

 game animals harbour the bacilli of cattle disease. 



We would urge that these allegations should not be accepted 

 as proved, until some competent commission of biologists shall 

 have determined this question, and especially whether there are 

 not other means of destroying the tsetse fly, which is the carrier 

 of those diseases ; and further, whether all the animals are the 

 hosts of those bacilli, and, if not, which animals are free from 

 them. It is obvious that the lions, for instance, might be destroyed 

 without sacrificing the whole Fauna. We further urge that great 

 caution should be exercised, and this forest not lightly sacrificed' 

 to what may resolve itself into a mere demand for more land for 

 cultivation or for speculative purposes. We beg to bring to your 

 notice the enclosed letters on the subject of the tsetse fly, pub-, 

 lished in the Morning Post of May 18th and 21st. 



West Africa. 



Lagos. 



According to the report of Captain Ambrose, the travelling 

 Commissioner, a most deplorable slaughter of elephants and game 

 animals is now taking place in this Colony, one-tenth of the' 

 population of certain districts being engaged exclusively in 

 elephant hunting (page 1), and female and young tuskless 

 elephants being killed for meat. In other districts the larger 

 kinds of game are being rapidly exterminated. 



If the temporary prohibition of the importation of gunpowder 

 into the Colony is considered too drastic a measure, we agree 

 With the recommendation of Acting Governor Thorburn, that 

 adequate game reserves should be established without delay, and 

 suggest that a close time should be ordered for all animals during 

 certain months of the year, and that the sale of hides, horns, &c, 

 should be altogether prohibited, and all elephant tusks weighing 

 less than 25 lbs. be confiscated. 



Sierra Leone. 



We are glad to learn that the Governor proposes without? 

 delay to bring the question of game preservation before the native 

 chiefs in order to prevent the indiscriminate slaughter of game- 

 animals. 



Gold Coast. 



We note that in the opinion of the Attorney-General (p. 13) 

 there is no apparent necessity for a reserve in this Colony, but we 

 beg to point out that according to the table (on p. 13) the ivory 

 exported from the Gold Coast Colony has fallen from 33,003 lbs. 

 m 1892 (valued at £5,417) to 2,749 lbs. in the year 1904 (valued 

 at £725). 



