general Zoological changes. 17 



every wild animal is considered as res nullius, and merely 

 awaiting the primus occupans, works as destructively with re- 

 ference to the animals, as it does in every other respect. — 

 Where a democratic population becomes at all numerous, 

 every useful or interesting wild animal will be wantonly per- 

 secuted, by any individual, without any consideration to the 

 season, or to the detriment which its extermination would 

 cause, as to the more important interests, as well as the com- 

 forts or pleasure of all the other inhabitants ; so that those 

 species which hold out great temptations to him who takes 

 possession of them, and to which the localities afford little 

 natural protection, soon become extirpated ; whereas others 

 can only with difficulty stand their ground, in consequence of 

 their own cunning, or faculties of adaptation, or the favoura- 

 ble chances which the locality in itself gives them. 



The aristocratic form of government, on the other hand, if 

 taking any great developement, will react against that general 

 persecution of animals, in favor of such species as it may be the 

 interest or pleasure of the privileged class to conserve, without 

 taking notice of the rest ; and thus create and perpetuate one 

 of those public nuisances, which the aristocracy of every coun- 

 try have been guilty of starting and fostering. 



The monarchical form, in its many modifications, from the 

 most absolute despotism, up to that where the monarch sanc- 

 tions and determines only what is considered to be the gene- 

 ral will, or benefit of the nation, may act, in regulating the 

 condition of the lower animals in a country, either as a perfect 

 curse or blessing. Not but that any proportion of the merit 

 or blame attaches to any particular modification of that form ; 

 a wise despot may do, within a few years, more to bring the 

 condition of the animals in his dominions, into more perfect 

 harmony with the interests of his subjects, than a constitu- 

 tional king, crossed in his good intentions by a domineering 

 party of his nation ; but, on the other hand, a prince, more or 

 less absolute in that respect, when it pleases him to favor cer- 

 tain species of animals, more than his subjects, may, within 

 a very short time cause the latter to be hurt in their most vi- 

 tal interests by the former ; whereas this is impossible if the 

 power of the prince be duly limited. It is, therefore, not a 

 quality inherent to any particular shade of monarchical go- 

 vernment, to make the quickest strides towards a perfect e- 

 quilibrium of the respective conditions of man and the lower 

 animals ; only what is quickly gained in the one, may be as 

 quickly lost ; and what is gradually gained in the other, may 

 be gained for all times to come. A properly centralized state 

 has also, in this particular, great advantages over one, where 



Vol. II. — No. 1. sr. s. c 



