160 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 
country might be re-colonised by the interesting 
animals. Their abundance would be a great source 
of pleasure to all who visit the delightful island, 
and would add one more to the list of attractions 
which it has to offer. The one condition which 
has retarded the increase of the beaver is that the 
law for their protection has been so often changed. 
The harm done is that each time the close season 
was drawing to an end, beavers were surreptitiously 
killed in anticipation of the time when the skins 
might legally be offered for sale. Then almost at 
the last moment the close season would be extended 
for another few years, very much to the disgust of 
those who were storing skins at considerable risk, 
for, justly enough, their discovery would mean a 
heavy fine. It can scarcely be doubted that fair 
numbers of beaver were killed by those who wanted 
to be ahead of their neighbours, for competition 
must have been keen. 
An animal which is as easily trapped.or in other 
ways killed, as the beaver, requires the most careful 
protection, and laws should be considered with the 
most thorough understanding of the conditions 
governing their life and the trappers’ powers. Had 
the close season (in Newfoundland) terminated two 
years ago, the entire good gained by the preceding 
years would have been lost. For the trapper, 
having learned by experience that laws can be made 
and suddenly changed for the protection of the 
beaver, would have made the most of the oppor- 
