THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF ANIMALS. 831 



The importance of fishes as food need not be mentioned. In 

 the mere enumeration of useful products of animals but a faint 

 idea can be gained of the vast interests they present. The Na- 

 tional Museum, under the direction of the late lamented Prof. 

 Goode, arranged a collection which illustrates the value of fish 

 and fishing in all the details from the jewfish, that is made into 

 boneless cod, to the feather fly, whose manufacture gives employ- 

 ment to hundreds of women and girls in New York. 



The products of fish give rise to numerous industries, among 

 which may be mentioned isinglass from the sturgeon ; caviare ; 

 leather from eelskins, and guano from catfish. Then come the 

 trades associated with the capture of fishes the dealers in fishing 

 tackle, the builders of fishing boats, the makers of fishhooks, 

 sinkers, and artificial bait being a few that will suggest how the 

 fishes indirectly enter into the life of man and aid in his support. 



Passing to the reptiles and their allies, we find the frogs and 

 lizards destroying noxious insects, ridding the gardens and trees 

 of pests. The skin of large snakes is made into leather ; that of 

 smaller varieties into belts, hatbands, covering for boxes, etc. ; 

 while snake oil is highly valued for various purposes. In South 

 America the white meat of the great boa is esteemed a delicacy. 

 A political economist, whose name I do not recall, has stated that 

 wars are a necessity to kill off the surplus population. This phi- 

 losopher would probably consider the snakes of India in the light 

 of a benefit, as since 1870 they have destroyed over two hundred 

 thousand natives. 



We obtain our real tortoise shell from the hawksbill turtle, the 

 beautiful substance being made into countless articles, forming 

 important industries in themselves. The Florida crocodile and 

 alligator are on the verge of extinction that we may have satchels 

 and the hundred and one objects in this leather which the ingen- 

 ious makers give us. Every portion of the animal is of value. 

 The teeth are made into jewelry, the oil soothes the rheumatic 

 patient, while alligator musk forms an ingredient in the manufac- 

 ture of perfumes. 



The direct benefits which we obtain from the birds are well 

 known. The egg, poultry, and wild game industry, the sale of 

 pet birds, the extravagant use of plumes and feathers at the dic- 

 tates of fashion, the sale of birds and eggs for specimens, the 

 manufacture of fly-fishing bait, are but a few industries which 

 afford employment to thousands all over the world and represent 

 the investment of vast sums of money. Some of the peculiar 

 products of birds are leather from the feet of tropic species, the 

 albatross ; pipestems from the leg of the latter ; quill pens, pen- 

 guin-feather furs, and penguin skins as fuel at Heard Island ; the 

 oil of gulls as lamp oil by Eskimos ; leather from the pouch of 



