CO885-(21-23) — Page 549

31716

SIR,

79

No. 46.

GAMBIA.

DR. E. HOPKINSON to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received 11 September, 1913.)

[Copy to Governor, 16 September, 1913. No. 257. L.F.]

[Acknowledged 15 September, 1913.]

45, Sussex Square, Brighton, September 10, 1913.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge your letter of August 29,* with its enclo- sures, dealing with the preservation of animals and birds.

2. As I wrote in an earlier communication,t I do not consider that any further protection for the general Gambia fauna is needed or advisable, while as to the specific question, that of the golden cuckoos, I think that any special protection regulation for them would be hardly worth while, as so very few occur, and still fewer [are] killed, in our territory, for they are only found in the forest parts of Fogni. I do not suppose that protection in British Gambia only would, even if absolutely perfect, save a dozen golden cuckoos a year, so rare and local are the birds, so hard to get at as they are, from their haunting the tops of high trees, and so few are their human enemies. To be any good at all, the protection would have to include all West Africa. Except, perhaps, for the game birds, not one-thousandth Hawks, assisted part of the bird death or diminution in the Gambia is due to man.

by predatory animals, are their main and ever present enemies.

3. If, however, now or later on it was decided to protect these cuckoos or other insect-eating birds, the most certain way would be to prohibit the sale or exposure for sale of the skins. With small birds like these nothing is easier, even in a civilised country with gamekeepers and police, to break any regulation forbidding their shooting. The hunters would simply never show their skins to any one but the traders who buy them.

I have, &c.,

É. HOPKINSON.

Totals

• Wild Dog.

61

650 414

306 232

811

248

Baboon.

+ 3 Monkeys and 21 Crocodiles.

Zomba, Nyasaland Protectorate,

July 10th, 1913.

27846

SIR,

No. 45.

GAMBIA.

31997

450

176

84

293 3,078

§ Ant-Bear.

F. B. PEARCE.

COLONIAL OFFICE to DR. E. HOPKINSON.

[Answered by No. 46.]

Downing Street, 29 August, 1913. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you the accompanying copies of correspondence* with the Governor of the Gambia, relative to the question of forming reserves or sanctuaries for the wild fauna of the Colony and Protec- torate.

2. Mr. Harcourt will be glad to receive your observations on the subject!

I am, &c.,

HENRY LAMBERT,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

(No. 647.)

SIR,

No. 47.

EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 15 September, 1913.) [Answered by No. 49.]

Government House, Nairobi, British East Africa,

August 19th, 1913.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 543, of July 8th, in which you express a desire to be furnished with further information as to the necessity for the enactment of the Game Amendment Ordinance, 1913. I have received this inquiry with some surprise, and would venture to express a doubt whether it has been made by your personal direction, as I am aware that you are cognisant of representations which were made on the subject of lion hunting before I left England, and which constituted the reason for my taking up the question as soon as possible after my arrival in the Protectorate.

2. Before broaching the matter officially I consulted Sir Frederick Jackson, whose experience of the fauna of this country is possibly unrivalled, and also the Game Warden, regarding the propriety of extending a measure of protection to lions as eventually effected by the amending Ordinance. They replied to me in terms of cordial approbation of the proposal, and assured me that the measure would be welcomed by all true sportsmen and lovers of animals in the country.

3. In support of his views Mr. Woosnam submitted a memorandum, of which I enclose a copy, which clearly and effectively sets forth the reasons which have

* Nos. 12, 33, 36, and 41.

7

• No. 45.

+ Enclosure in No. 33.

‡ No. 39.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

mnim mimC.O. 885.

22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC. COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO