Fo. 646] 



BOOKS AND LITERATURE 



457 



are used as an ignoble example. It is not too late in Canada to 

 profit by mistakes south of the boundary, and Doctor Hewitt's 

 book should serve as a timely warning. 



Considerable progress has already been made in establishing 

 government and private reserves in Canada and the record of 

 this movement as given in this book is one of the most valuable 

 features of the work. The author took a lively interest in this 

 movement, and in efforts to conserve the wild life of the Domin- 

 ion he did everything possible, from revising the game laws of 

 the Northwest Territories to the instruction of Boy Scouts in bird 

 protection. Previous to his work the game laws of the Northwest 

 Territories had not been revised for many years, and he succeeded 

 in the difficult task of getting through a revision that is a great 

 improvement over the former regulations. His successful effort 

 to bring about the Migratory Birds Treaty between the United 

 States and Canada was an accomplishment of high order. There 

 were, of course, other earnest men on both sides of the boundary 

 who assisted in this work, but to the author of this book fell 

 some of the most aggravating and ability-testing tasks. If the 

 full history of this effort is sometime written. Doctor Hewitt's 

 part will appear as a large one. 



The discussion of the periodic fluctuations of Canadian fur- 

 bearing animals in Chapter IX is perhaps the best example of 

 scientific method in the book. These fluctuations have long at- 

 tracted the attention of scientific and commercial men and they 

 are here discussed from abundant data and from a biological 

 point of view. 



This posthumous book is an additional monument to the scien- 

 tific skill and personal abilities of the author. It should serve as 

 a valuable warning to Canadians and will be of value to readers 

 everywhere in giving a summary of the resources of the Domin- 

 ion in one of its most interesting and economically valuable 

 assets. Because of the wide interest in big game it should attract 

 temporarily or permanently to Canada those who retain a whole- 

 some love for the outdoors. 



E. F. Phillips 



