May 1, 1902.] THE TKQPICAL AGRICULTURtS'T. 
THE GAME PROTECTION SOCIETY. 
THE REPORT. 
In submitting my report for the year 1901, it ia 
expedient that I should notice briefly the work done 
by the Society during the year. Mr North 0 
Davidson's last annual report, embodying all ordi- 
nances, enactments, and proclamations relating to the 
protection of game iu Ceylon, was circulated 
amongst members of the Society early in 1901, but it 
fails to record the proceedings of meetings held during 
the latter portion of the preceding year. Two general 
and three sub-Committee meetings were held and at 
these, certain schemes for the better protection of game 
were discussed and eventually a definite scheme was 
elaborated and laid before Government. It dealt 
with that very difficult question, the native trade in 
deer horns, and recommended that a strict censorship 
be placed by Government upon this traffic through 
the officers of the Public Works, the Forest and the 
Survey Departments, as vpell as through the Presidents 
of Gansabhawas, suggesting that all these be armed 
with the powers of Itinerating Police Magistrates 
Government replied on August 11th, 1900, that the 
suggestions laid before them by the Ceylon Game 
Protection Society were incapable of being put into 
practice, at the same time undertaking to carry out 
a proposal to register and license professional game 
trackers. 
The Society also expressed its approval of the 
Draft Firearms Ordinance as published in the Gov- 
ernment Gazette No. 5649 of 29th September, 1899. 
The Sub-Committee drafted during the year au appeal 
to visiting sportsmen, inviting donations to the C G. 
P Society. This was duly circulated through the 
Government Agents of the various provinces but 
appears to have been but feebly responded to, and the 
revenue of the Society from this source icay be 
quoted as too insignificant to be worthy of notice. 
At a general meeting in June, 1900, the introduction 
of Indian antelope (Black Buck) was proposed and 
duly considered, and at a general meeting in July a 
sum of Rl.OOO was voted for this purpose. 
The Hon. Secretary (Mr Davidson) forthwith put 
himself into communication with His Excellency the 
then Governor of Madras who most kindly and liberally 
offered to the C. G. P. S, a number of antelope from 
Gnindy Park. Numerous suggestions were made as to 
the best localities to stock with these animals and 
the hearty co-operation and support of our Govern- 
ment Agents iu the North and South was promised. 
Everything in fact was in train for establishing them 
in the island, but unfortunately they had to be caught. 
From correspondence submitted to me this difficulty 
appeared so great and so likely, in conjunction with 
the transport of these fragile animals over sea, to be 
attended with loss and considerable cruelty that 
upon my assumption of office as Hon. Secretary of 
this Society I suspended negotiations with IWadras. 
The acclimatisation of game is a costly undertaking, 
if the efforts made are likely to be crowned with 
success; and in my opinion the Society is not suffi- 
ciently wealthy to expend such a large sum of money 
in the face of such doubtful results. Previous ex- 
perimental efforts to introduce feathered games 
have failed completely, and before any more are 
undertaken our list of members as well as our annual 
subscriptions should be doubled. Before closing the 
resume of the year's work, I must allude briefly to a 
rule that was framed by the Society and put into 
operation by Government in 1900-1901. This rule pro- 
hibits all shooting of deer and sambur in the Hill 
Reserves above au elevation of 4,000 ft , except by 
special permission of His Excellency the Governor. 
The concession was asked for by the Society with 
the object of protecting sambur in those portions of 
the Hill reserves where elk-hnnting could be in- 
dulged in. The subject was fi-eely discussed and it 
was competent for any member of the Society to 
oppose the rule or to propose a modification of it. 
Unfortunately the Province of Uva does not appear to 
97 
have been represented at the meetings, or if it wa 
the voice of protest was not raised and the rule passed 
into practical law. I say " unfortunately ' for it has 
given rise to bitterness on the part of certain Uva 
members who had been iu the habit of shooting red 
deer and who complain that they are debarred by this 
rule from a sport they had hitherto enjoyed on their 
patnas, at eleviitions exceeding 4,000 feet. The resigna- 
tion of the Honorary Secretaryship by Mr. N. O 
Davidson occurred during the year and in January, 
1901, I was elected to till the "post. The year 1901 
was not remarkable for any great change or im- 
provement in the constitution or scope of the Society. 
Three general meetings were held in Nuwara Eliya 
and the Sub-committee had under consideratinn two 
import mt papers from Government, dealing (1) with 
the Yala Sanctuary and (2) with a proposal to enforce 
old Forest Laws, The recommendations by the Sub- 
committee with regard to both these have been 
approved by the Government. I. In Mr. Horsburgh's 
report on Sanctuary that gentleman made certain 
suggestions in paragraphs 24,25 and 28. These were ap- 
proved of by the Committee and subsequently adopted 
by Government. II The application of sub-sectiona 
D of sectiou 20 of Ordinance 10 of 1885 was recom- 
mended by the Assistant Government Agent of 
Nuwara Eliya to Reserved Forests and it will prob- 
ably be put into effect. 
Subscriptions and Members. — It is a great pleasure 
to me to be able to report that many subscriptions, 
which had remained unpaid during the two or three 
preceding years, were paid up during 1901. A few 
resignations, hitherto unrecorded, were received from 
members who had ceased to subscribe for some years 
and a few members were lost by their leaving the 
island. It is a matter for regret that the new mem- 
bers who have joined during the year fail to make 
up the deficiency in numbers due to the causes above- 
mentioned. It is also regrettable that more pecuniary 
support is not forthcoming and, if in future years it 
is found that some of the old sporting centres are 
played out and barren of game, thoyoungergeneration of 
sportsmen will have only themselves to blame for their 
apathy^of today. Moreover, should the C.G. P. S, lapse 
and allow its duties and responsibilities to be absorbed 
by Government, there wiU be uo reasonable ground 
for surprise if it be found that Government, having 
paid for the protection of game, shows a disinclination 
to grant practically unrestricted sporting rights such 
as we enjoy today. To maintain our position and 
to ensure a hearing for our suggestions, the Game 
Protection Sjciety of Ceylon should bo a stronger and 
a more representative body than it is at present. We 
should not lose sight of the fact that its soope is 
exceedingly limited and restricted by the laws of the 
laud, and that the power the Society possesses ia 
measured by the length of its purse or in other 
words by its balance at tho bank. To enable us to 
wield this power effectively, we must devote most of 
our resources to the payment of game watchers. 
Under this heading progress is being made 
and much good is being done in the hills.. 
The destruction of sambur by coolies and by poaching 
gangs generally has almost ceased. Two watchers, 
paid by Government at the rate of R15 each per 
month, are subsidised to the extent of R5 each out 
of the Society's funds. Two forest peons are also in 
receipt of the same sum monthly from the same source. 
In the low country the Yala Sanctuary is watched 
by night watchers employed by Government and in 
the proposed new Sanctuary in the Puttalam District 
four men are to be employed. 
The Society pays R30 per month for two watchera 
in the Meda and Kadawatte Korales under the super- 
vision of the Bladawelletenue Ratamahateya. During 
the year under review a sum of R20 per month 
was applied for by the Haputale Branch Society and 
in my opinion this should be disbursed from the 
Society's funds. I would further suggest that four- 
fifths of the Uva subscriptions be added to this 
amount, so that an efficient system of protection 
