4 
whether bathed in tropical sunshine, draped with lazy mist clouds, 
or lashed with wind and rain, and the air on the uplands is fresh, 
keen, and bracing as on a Scotch moor. Perched far up on the 
Eastern slope is a spacious depot for white troops, and at various 
sites on the plateau there are towns and settlements largely 
occupied by European permanent residents, and by visitors in 
search of health or pleasure. Somewhat lower on the mountain 
sides there are numerous settlers engaged in the culture of coffee, 
tea, and cinchona. In 1881 the population of the district was a 
little over 91,000, and of these 1698 were Europeans, and the rest 
mostly hill tribes and other natives. With such a large population, 
and but feeble restrictions for the protection of game, its numbers 
began obviously to decrease, and there was the near prospect of 
some species being either completely exterminated or scared off to 
more secluded haunts. It was high time, therefore, to take steps 
for the protection of these denizens cf the forests, hills, valleys, 
and slopes, and the working of the Gfame Act has been fairly 
successful, by securing a close time for the wild creatures, and by 
the introduction of game licences, etc. Thus was one little step 
gained for the promotion of a good cause. 
In the year 1881, the question of the protection of birds, irre¬ 
spective of their belonging to the category of game, was opened 
by a letter which the writer of the present memorandum addressed 
to the Government of Madras. In this he brought to notice the 
indiscriminate slaughter of birds, for the sake of their plumage, 
which was taking place throughout the Madras Presidency, and 
claimed protection for these helpless creatures mainly in the 
interests of agriculture. In this appeal it was remarked:— 
“ In Southern India scarcely a year passes without refer¬ 
ences being made to the Museum* regarding the injuries 
inflicted on crops by insects. Now it is a colony of borers 
attacking coffee bushes or sugar cane, while next year it is a 
* Madras Museum of Natural History, etc. 
