BY WAY OF EXPLANATION 5 



All of this seems apart from the subject of the present 

 book, but I take the opportunity of trying, with but small 

 hope of success, to arouse a little interest in what may at first 

 appear to be only a hobby, but which in reality is of some im- 

 portance. In these days of speed and still more speed things 

 happen quickly. More changes take place in ten years now 

 than in ten or twenty times ten years a few centuries ago. 

 Animals which changed but little during great periods 

 covering thousands of years are suddenly wiped out before 

 our very eyes. There is no time to waste. The camera 

 in competent hands should be taken on the field, and every 

 species known to exist should be photographed both with 

 the regular camera and cinematograph, and the results 

 stored in places where they shall be safe against all 

 conceivable forms of destruction. 



The accompanying photographs will serve to keep a fairly 

 good record of the Newfoundland Caribou, not as good or 

 as complete as I should like it to be, for I am not in a 

 position to carry on the work with the thoroughness that it 

 deserves; but, nevertheless, anyone looking at them will be 

 able to form a fairly correct idea of what these Caribou look 

 like. It would be advisable if photographs of other species 

 were taken, especially those that are in danger of extermina- 

 tion, as for example. Stone's Caribou (i?. Sto?iei)^ which is one 

 of the more or less well-defined species found on the south 

 coast of Alaska ; it is scarce even now and will probably 

 be wiped out entirely before very long ; so that if any steps 

 are to be taken to preserve it photographically there is no 

 time to lose. 



Among those who have been good enough to help me in 

 this book, my sincere thanks are due to Sir E. P. Morris, 

 the present Prime Minister of Newfoundland ; to The Reid 

 Company of Newfoundland, for giving me the facilities 



