LETTERS

The following quotations from a few of the many and wholly unsolicited letters received are arranged in alphabetical order.  They are strictly verbatim: 

Australia. The Animals’ Protection Society.  F. Montagu Rothery, Esq., Secretary, 82 Pitt Street, Sydney, New South Wales.

Here in this State our fauna and flora are both rapidly disappearing, there being so many agencies at work for their destruction.  It will soon be too late to save many of our beautiful birds and animals, and I am anxious to bring under notice your words for the preservation of animals by a system of sanctuaries.

Dr. Robert Bell, late Chief Geologist, Geological Survey of Canada, who has made many explorations in Labrador and adjacent lands and waters, and who has always given special attention to the mammals, writes: 

I approve very heartily of the plan.  It will be a humane thing to try to protect the animals and will be very advantageous in every way.  It will no doubt receive the sympathy of all classes.  There will, however, be some difficulties to overcome and much work to be done before the plan gets into successful operation....  As to the location and dimensions of the sanctuary, the north side of the lower St. Lawrence is the most suitable or only region left, except where it is too far north to benefit the most of the mammals and birds which we should try to preserve.  It will be desirable to reserve and protect as great a length of the shore as possible, but perhaps enough will be found between Bradore bay on the east and Great Mekattina island on the west, or this might be extended to Natashkwan.  To carry it up to Mingan, it would become more and more difficult to protect the coast the further up you come.  Between Mekattina island and Natashkwan, there are no attractive rivers to tempt trespassers to go inland, those which exist being difficult for canoe navigation....

The animals soon find out where they are safe and come to live in even a small area.  The Algonquin park is a case in point.  There the bears have increased immensely in a few years and the less noticeable mammals and birds have also increased very much.  I know of a more conspicuous case of a small area, on the Nelson river, where, owing to an old-standing superstition of the Indians, the animals have not been molested for a long period and they have become much more numerous than elsewhere....  Everything that can be killed is called Game.  Most of it should be called animal murder and should be discouraged.

The Sanctuary should be placed in charge of a committee of naturalists.  But zoologists are scarce in Canada and those who have taken an interest in the animals might be included.  Faithful men to carry out their instructions I think can be found.

The President of the Boone and Crockett Club, Major W. Austin Wadsworth, Geneseo, N.Y., wrote: