Live Stock. 2< 



threatened with extinction will make it 

 nnnecessary to apply the measure, should 

 it be passed into law. It may, however, 

 be argued that the proposed Bill, so far 

 as it goes beyond the scope of the Wild 

 Birds Protection Act, 1887, and especially 

 in its application to deer and other 

 animals which are liable to injure 

 growing crops, is open to the objection 

 stated in the Home Department Resolu- 

 tion No, 1471-81, dated the 29th August, 

 1885, 



Text of the Bill. 



The following is the text of the Bill :— 

 Whereas it is expedient to make better 

 provision for the protection and pre- 

 servation of game ; it is hereby enacted 

 as follows : — 



Short title and extent. 



1. (1) This Act may be called the 

 Indian Game Act, 1908; and (2), it ex- 

 tends to the whole of British India, in- 

 cluding British Baluchistan, the Santhal 

 Parganas and the Pargana of Spiti. 



Definition. 



2. In this Act— "game" means all 

 kinds of the following birds and animals 

 when in their wild state, namely— 



(i) bustards, ducks, floricans, geese, 

 jungle-fowls, partridges, peafowl, phea- 

 sant, pigeons, quail, sand grouse, snipe, 

 spur fowl and woodcock ; 



(ii) antelopes, asses, bison, buffaloes, 

 deer, gazelles, goats, hares, oxen, rhino- 

 ceroses and sheep. 



Close time. 



3. The Local Government may, by 

 notification in the local official Gazette, 

 declare any period of the year to be a 

 close time for any sxiecified kind of game 

 throughout the whole or any parts of 

 its territories ; and during such period 



3 TMarch, 1909. 



and within the areas specified in such 

 declaration, it shall be unlawful— 



(a) to capture or kill any such game ; 



(b) to deal in any such game ; 



(c) to deal in the plumage of any birds 

 specified in such notification captured or 

 killed during such close time. 



Penalty for illegal capture or killing 

 of, or dealing on, game. 



4. Whoever does, attempts to do, any 

 act in contravention of section 3, shall be 

 punishable— 



(a) on the first conviction, with fine 

 which may extend to fifty rupees ; and 



(b) on the second conviction, with im- 

 prisonment for a term which may extend 

 to one month, or with fine which may 

 extend to one hundred rupees, or with 

 both. 



Presumption of commission of 

 certain offences- 



5. Where any person is found in pos- 

 session of any game recently captured 

 or killed, the Court may presume that 

 he has captured or killed such game. 



Saving. 



6. Nothing in this Act shall be deemed 

 to affect the capture or killing of game 

 in self-defence, or in bona fide protection 

 of a standing crop or growing fruit. 



Application of Act to other birds. 



7. The local Government may, by 

 notification in the local official Gazette, 

 apply the provisions of this Act to any 

 kind of bird other than those specified 

 in section 2, which in its opinion it is 

 desirable to preserve from extinction. 



Repeal. 



8. The Wild Birds' Protection Act 

 1887, XX. of 1897, is heieby repealed. 

 -Indian Forester, Vol. XXXV., No. 1, 

 January, 1909. 



