THE WILD FAUNA OF THE EMPIRE 27 



foresight to come in and preserve these valuable and beautiful 

 animals from extinction before it is too late. 



Sir Henky Sbton-Kakr: Lord Elgin, I do not propose to 

 occupy your valuable time more than a few moments. I did not 

 come here with the intention of making a speech, but may I 

 respectfully comment in a few words upon what fell from Lord 

 Curzon? I listened to his remarks with the greatest interest, and 

 I think I almost entirely agree with what he said ; but I should 

 like to add this humble criticism. I quite agree we do not want 

 the preservation of game on the general ground of the gratification 

 of sportsmen, and that is an idea which should be promptly dis- 

 pelled from the mind if it ever existed. I for one fully sympathise 

 with the Imperial sentiment expressed by Lord Curzon, but I 

 should be sorry to see the financial question, with all due respect, 

 to him, lost sight of. This is a utilitarian age, and the public 

 might like to be satisfied that it is, besides being a matter of public 

 sentiment, commercially and financially advantageous to preserve 

 the game. Personally, I think that is one of the strongest argu- 

 ments in favour of our views, and I think that the figures of the 

 revenue which are contained in our Paper, and on which wo lay 

 stress, point clearly to that end, and that it is a practical advantage 

 to any wild country that the wild animal life contained in it should 

 be maintained, not only for sentimental reasons and as a matter 

 of interest, but also because they are a valuable source of revenue 

 while that country remains in a comparatively wild state, and that 

 the revenue derived therefrom may very well be utilised in 

 enforcing and carrying out the laws and regulations for their 

 preservation. I, for one, would humbly emphasise that minor 

 point to-day. 



There is only one further point : I should like to confirm what 

 has fallen from Mr. Whitbread with regard to the Yellowstone 

 Park, with which I am acquainted, and the example of the 

 American people in the matter of preservation of game. I firmly 

 believe that the reason why they have so practically and thoroughly 

 taken up this question of the preservation of big game, and have 

 so readily enforced the sanctity of the Yellowstone National Park, 

 is because the lesson was rubbed into them by the extinction of 

 the buffalo. I was out there before the buffalo became extinct,, 

 and I know what happened at the time when everybody who could 

 buy a cheap rifle and ammunition was able to go out and shoot 

 anything he liked. At that time the American nation was 

 extremely callous with regard to the preservation of game, and 

 they thought, no doubt, it would go on preserving itself to the end 

 of time ; they suddenly woke up to the fact that the buffalo, an 

 interesting and unique animal of the North American continent, 

 was practically extinct. They woke up to the fact when it was 

 too late, and, with regard to that particular species, they shut the 

 door. But they are now carrying out, and spending money freely 

 in carrying out, the preservation of the remaining species of big 

 game— ana they are a practical and utilitarian people. 



