THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALI81, 



any kind of game in each district ; n id 

 pay $] to $2 for each district. Lici n 

 for the whole Province, $.;(>. 



The proposed amendments in regard to the 



close seasons are to be desired, and if the 

 Spring shooting ol Black Duck, Mallard, Wood 

 Duck and Teal were prohibited, the Bill, in 

 this respect, would meet the views of mosl 

 sportsmen. Numbers of Black Duck and Wood 

 Duck breed in suitable localities throughoul 

 the Province, and many more would, doubtless, 

 remain to nest if protected in the Spring, as 

 , they commence nest-building early in May, 

 and the full number of eggs is usually 

 deposited before the latter part of that month. 

 It is true many nests are found as late as the 

 middle of June, but this is the result of the 

 birds having been disturbed in Spring and 

 prevented from occupying the places they had 

 first selected, as in the most Northern parts of 

 the Province, where they have been undis- 

 turbed, nests have been found as early as the 

 15th May. The first principle of all laws for 

 the protection of game is that the quadrupeds 

 and birds protected should not be disturbed at 

 those particular seasons defined by Nature for 

 the perpetuation of their species. It is obvious, 

 therefore, that it is wrong to permit flu' shoot- 

 ing of these ducks until 1st May, as they have 

 paired and selected their places for nesting 

 long before that time. The proposed division 

 of the Province into districts, and the impo- 

 sition of a license fee for the privilege of 

 shooting, is not likely to meet with much 

 favour from sportsmen, who have already to 

 pay pretty dearly for the privileges they enjoy. 

 The confusion likely to arise from this division, 

 and the impossibility of collecting the fax 

 impartially will make this portion of the Bill 

 most unpopular, not only to sportsmen, but 

 to farmers and others who, from time imme- 

 morial, bave been accustomed to enjoy a little 

 shooting in their spare time. The necessity of 

 securing a Government license to hunt on 

 their own farms, cannot but seem arbitrary ; 



and w«- fail to • 



the imposition of ih. 

 ing therefrom will i 

 the cosl of collection. 



A careful revision of the BUI 

 before it- final reading 

 occur, and the use of local nai 

 some confusion. 



A MYSTERY. 



A magnificent adult M.»>-" i 

 sent by W r . p. Lewis, Esq., of this i tjr, • 

 to stuff. There i- a mystery abonl the 

 of this head. Each ear hi 

 longitudinally from the apex towards the I 

 The edges of 1 1 1 * - cnts art 

 in'/// hair similar to the outside n 



the natural ear. Who or what cut tl 



this Moose, and what was tin' animal's age 



when these cuts wen- mad. '.' I 



sent from Pembroke bj Messrs. I. a W, 



Murray to whom I wrote asking it I 



give me some information regarding I 



cuts, suggesting thai at one time (probably 



when young) the animal may have been the 

 property of some one who had it partially 



tamed ; that, the euts were then madeas mark* 

 Of identity, and that it afterward- i - 

 the woods. 1 have had deer head- with : 

 ear-cuts which were done by the hunter alter 



(lie dear was shot, but this one is the 



instance of the kind coming under n 

 Messrs. Murray sa\ :— " We do not think that 

 it was ever tamed as then' are no settlers 

 the section it was taken from. The [nd 

 might probably keep one a short time when 

 young, with a view of taking it where it could 

 he disposed o\' alive, but they very seldom 

 keep them any time.*' I ma\ probably have 



some further information regarding these cuts. 



They do not represent wound- made I 

 quadruped ; they resemble cuts made with a 

 knife; but when and where they were n. 

 is the mystery. 



