GEOGRAPinCAL DISTRIBUTION. \^^ 



under the action of agents to which they arc unaccus- 

 tomed, and Avhich tend to their gradual extinction. 

 The omnivorous hog, which accompanies man in all 

 his migrations, seeks them out in their most secluded 

 retreats, and uproots them from the soil itself; and 

 the domestic poultry find m them a favorite food. 

 Fires, which from year to year are applied to consimie 

 the trees felled by the axe, aid in the work ; and finally 

 comes the plough, which completes their extermina- 

 tion. Thus, they mostly disappear as the settlement 

 of the country proceeds, until in the older and most 

 populous districts, they are nearly extinct or are repre- 

 sented only by the smaller species, existing under fa- 

 vorable circumstances, and in the most retired local- 

 ities. So, too, in the well-wooded regions of the West 

 not actually subjected to the operations of agriculture, 

 where they were until lately known to be very nume- 

 rous, the universal practice of rearing great numbers 

 of hogs, which roam at large in the forest, has dimin- 

 ished their numbers and rendered them much less com- 

 mon. No species, however, is likely to become extinct 

 from this cause alone, for many escape these various 

 dangers, and some portions of land remain uncultivated ; 

 and when sufiered to rest for a tune immolested, they 

 increase very rapidly. 



Destruction hy Animals. The increase of individuals 

 is kept in check by the depredations of other species 

 of the same family, and even by other individuals of 

 the same species. Other kinds of animals also prey 



