REPORT OF THE CLUB'S DELEGATE.
179
"the competent legislative authority, (b) set aside for the
"propagation, protection and preservation of wild animal life
"and wild vegetation, and for the preservation of objects of
"aesthetic, geological, prehistoric, historical, archaeological, or
"other scientific interest for the benefit, advantage, and enjoy-
"ment of the general public, (c) in which the hunting, killing or
"capturing of fauna and the destruction or collection of flora is
"prohibited except by or under the direction or control of the
"park authorities.
"In accordance with the above provisions facilities shall, so
"far as possible, be given to the general public for observing
"the fauna and flora in national parks."
In England the term "national park" is, of course, used
much more loosely so as to include many kinds of natural reserves
and open spaces whether devoted to the preservation of the
fauna and flora or not. But Lord Onslow said that on that
occasion he proposed to confine himself to the possibility of
having in this country a national park on the lines contemplated
in the African Convention.
After referring to the existing Standing Committee on
National Parks of the Council for the Preservation of Rural
England, one item of whose policy is to get the Government to
set up two National Parks Commissions (one for England and
Wales and one for Scotland) he said he thought that the only
suitable place for a park of the kind he was then dealing with was
in Scotland. He did not think there was anywhere in England
and Wales that would be suitable. But in counties on the west
coast of Scotland there are thousands of acres of deer-forest, and
such land lent itself most readily to the creation of a national
park.
Lord Onslow then dealt in some detail with the possibility
of preserving the existing fauna and the introduction of other
native species into such an area. The list to be considered would
include our three species of deer, the so-called park cattle
(Chillingham, Chartley and Cadzow), wild goats, foxes, badgers,
stoats, weasels, otters, wild cats, pine martens, polecats and
perhaps some of the rarer bats, if they could be acclimatised in
Scotland. As to birds it could be said that, if unmolested, those
suitable to the district would certainly establish themselves.