Chap. 222.—An ACT for the protection of deer in the county of Page.

Approved February 24, 1888.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
it shall not be lawful for any person to kill or capture deer
in any manner whatever in the county of Page for a period
of four years from the passage of this act; and further, that
after the expiration of the four years, the time of the hunt-
ing season in which deer may be killed or hunted with dogs,
shall be lessened so as to commence the first of October and
end the first of December in each year.

2. The possession of any venison within the period pro-
hibited herein shall be prima facie evidence of the violation
of this act; and when such venison is found in the possession
of any person, the burden of proof shall be on such person to
show the manner in which the same came into his possession
and that such possession was not in violation of this act.

3. Any person or persons violating the provisions of this
act, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on convic-
tion thereof before any court or justice of the peace shall be
fined for each offence not less than twenty dollars nor more
than fifty dollars, one-half of which shall go to the informer,
and may be imprisoned in the county jail not less than thirty
days nor more than sixty days.

4, Any dog or dogs which may be caught in the act of
running deer within the time prohibited by this act, may be
killed by any party.

5. This act shall be given in charge to the grand jury by
the county judge of Page at every term at which a regular
grand jury shall be impaneled, in order that they may inquire
into any violation of said act, and it shall be the duty of all
peace officers in said county to prosecute promptly and vigor-
ously all violations of this act, and in every case of willful
failure to perform this duty, they shall be fined by the county

judge STS dollars.
6. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the pro-
visions hereof are hereby repealed.
7. This act shall be in force from its passage.