NATURE-RESERVES ig 



" forestry " and a State Forest Department in Germany 

 — which has no representative in this country — there is 

 machinery for selecting and guarding such " reserves." 

 A large sum is assigned annually by the Government 

 to this purpose. Last year an international congress, 

 attended by delegates from the English society, as well 

 as by representatives of many other States, was held, 

 and much useful discussion as to methods and results 

 took place. 



The notion of creating a nature-reserve on a small 

 scale seems to have originated with Charles Waterton, 

 the traveller and naturalist, who in the middle of last 

 century converted the estate surrounding his residence 

 near Pontefract in Yorkshire into a sort of sanctuary, 

 where he made it a strict rule that no wild thing 

 should be molested. For some years now the attempt 

 to create " nature-reserves," on a far larger scale than 

 those of which I have been writing, has been made 

 where civilization is planting its first settlements in 

 primeval forest arid prairie. The United States Govern- 

 ment, impressed with the rapid destruction and dis- 

 appearance both of forests and of native animals which 

 have accompanied the opening up by road and rail of 

 vast territories in the West, created in 1872 the national 

 " reserve," called the Yellowstone Park, which is some 

 3300 square miles in area. We are assured that here 

 under proper guardianship the larger native animals are 

 increasing in number ; whilst the great coniferous trees, 

 which were in danger of extermination by the white 

 man, are safe. Similar reserves have been proclaimed 

 in parts of Africa under British control, but though that 

 known as Mount Elgon — an ancient volcanic cup, clad 

 with forest, and ten miles in diameter — seems to have 

 been effective, and to have furnished in Sir Harry 



