In the years following the first world war the Saskatchewan Government attempted to conserve its beaver population by ordinary “close” and “open” seasons, in the hope that the beavers would increase during the close seasons and trapping become possible once more. This policy caused rapid reduction of the beaver population, until soon there were vast areas, previously abounding with beavers, where the only signs of past plenty were wrecked dams and abandoned lodges. The policy was also detrimental to the way of life of the thousands of trappers. These men adopted “trap and get out” methods, perhaps making, and spending, several thousand dollars during an open season, but being left destitute and dependent on the State during the close seasons which followed.

On 19th September there assembled at The Hague some 130 people of many nationalities with a common interest in problems of nature protection. Through the courtesy of the Netherlands authorities the meeting was held in the Rolzaal, an upper chamber of the fine old thirteenth century Ridderzaal, or Knights' Hall, in the centre of the Binnenhof.

With the reduction in poaching the game in the reserve is much less wild than it used to be, and visitors to the Murchison Falls are seeing more of it than previously. The animals seen on the Nile boat trip, however, give a completely false idea of the numbers of the various species that are actually present in the reserve. They tend to crowd into the river valley where they are attracted by the water and good grazing. Away from the river comparatively little game is seen.

It is sad to have to report that the game in Southern Rhodesia is fast disappearing and if the Government's present policy continues for much longer, it will be exterminated except in a few areas. In the past, this has happened in the Union of South Africa and now it is to repeat itself north of the Limpopo.

Captain Keith Caldwell, in his admirable report of a faunal survey in Eastern and Central Africa conducted in 1947, says: “… Were one of the old hunters who operated fifty years ago to visit Eastern Africa to-day, he would find vast districts in which he used to shoot completely denuded of game; in fact, it is probable that the game areas have been reduced by half, and the game within many of those left by 75 per cent.”

That, I think, is a fair estimate: a reduction of the fauna of Eastern and Central Africa to between a half and one-quarter of what it was half a century ago. The same applies more or less, but mostly more, to the whole of Africa south of the Sahara. The question before us now is what will be the state of this unique assemblage of fauna, including many species found nowhere else in the world, at the end of the next half-century?

In Jamaica the responsibility of administering the Wild Life Protection Law rests with the Forest Department. The Department is assisted and directed by the Wild Life Protection Committee, a body nominated by His Excellency the Governor and consisting of legislators, scientists, sportsmen and Government officials. The policy of this Committee and the Forest Department is to ensure the protection of all forms of wild life consistent with the interests of legitimate sportsmen and with the control of pests.

The last mention of the famous herd of Chillingham Cattle in the Journal of this Society was made in Part XVI published in April, 1932. At that time an appeal was being launched by three Trustees appointed for the purpose by the Council of the Zoological Society of London; and a lease for seven years at a rental of £500 per annum of the Park at Chillingham Castle in Northumberland was taken from the Earl of Tankerville, with the object of preserving the cattle. The present Earl, who succeeded to the title in 1931, was unable to maintain the herd at his own expense owing to the heavy and ever increasing burden of taxation. The Zoological Society of London contributed £100 annually for seven years, and the rest was found by public subscriptions.

The inspiration of most recent thought upon National Parks springs from the work done in 1933 at the London Conference for the Protection of African Fauna and Flora. The definition there adopted for the term “National Park” was, shortly, that it should mean an area placed under public control and set aside for the protection of wild animal life and wild vegetation, for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public. From this definition, already shortened, it is important to extract the object for which a National Park is formed and for which it is maintained. This object is the protection of wild life. It is not the enjoyment of the general public, for that is a different thing altogether, a result following the attainment of the object.

In 1950, from January to July, I was in British Guiana making a collection of live zoological specimens, which went to certain zoological gardens in Britain. During those months I gained some impressions of the status of wild life in the Colony. It was not possible in such a short period to conduct any very thorough investigation, but my work allowed me excellent opportunities to make personal observations and inquiries into matters connected with fauna preservation in Guiana.

For over a quarter of a century the Royal Entomological Society of London has been greatly concerned to ensure the existence of rare indigenous insects, whose continuance in this country appeared to be threatened. Originally, the Protection Committee set up by the Society was concerned mainly with the activities of certain unscrupulous collectors, which were actually threatening the very existence of beautiful and interesting species. This danger has now been very largely overcome, but in its place has sprung up a new threat, arising from modern agricultural practices, the heavy programmes of forestry, the development of housing estates, and in certain cases the activities of local authorities.