Legislation.  The  exercise  of  the  right  of  hunting  is
ruled  by  the  Act  of  February  28th  1882.
As  stated  by  this  Act,  everybody  may  hunt.  Hunting  is
inherent  to  ownership  and  is  no  longer  the  privilege  of  a
caste,  but  is  allowed  to  everyone.  The  sole  conditions
required  is  to  possess  hunting  grounds  and  to  justify  of  a
gun-licence  when  shooting  is  intended,  and  of  a  special
permission  for  hunting  with  the  greyhound.
The  cost  of  such  licences,  which  may  and  must,  accor-
ding to  the  case,  be  refused  to  a  certain  class  of  people,
is  fixed  at  35  francs,  independently  of  a  provincial  tax  of
10  francs.
Licences  are  personal  and  valid  for  one  year  from
July  ist  to  June  3oth  of  the  next  year.
Hunting  is  prohibited  except  within  the  periods  fixed
every  year  by  the  Government ;  the  object  of  this  restric-
tion being  to  secure  the  reproduction  of  the  game.  Every
landlord  has  a  right  to  repell  even  with  fire  arms  the  wild
beasts  which  damage  his  property.
Hunting  is  reserved  to  the  Crown  in  the  forests  of
Soignes,  of  St.-Hubert  and  of  Hertogenwald,  and  in  the
estates  bordering  on  the  Demesne  of  Ardenne.
An  Act  of  April  4th  1900,  rules  the  destruction  of  boars
and  of  rabbits  which  in  certain  region  have  become  a  real
plague  for  agriculture.
Finally  regulations  of  August  14th   1900  foresee  the


Ill

destruction,  the  hunting,  the  sale,  the  purchase,  the  con-
veying and  the  peddling,  of  insectivorous  birds,  of  their
eggs  and  their  broods.
Statistics.  According  to  the  general  census  of  i895,the
territory  on  which  the  right  of  hunting  can  be  exercised
comprises  :  —

Ordinary  cultares 1,916,690  hectares.
Woo<l9 521,49^  "

Waste  lands 169,329         »

2,607,514  hectares.
AVenOE  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  ARENBERG'S  CASTLR.  ATeHEVERLt,  KRAR  LOUVAIN.
