NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



quence usually acts unwisely, for in the case of the 

 creatures of veld, forest and mountain, a little 

 knowledge is a dangerous thing. Man, by his 

 unreasoning and wanton destruction of the native 

 birds, animals and reptiles of the country, is com- 

 mitting a crime against those of his kind who come 

 after him, as well as injuring himself and his neigh- 

 bours. It would be well for him and the State if 

 he put a curb on his destructive instincts, and allowed 

 himself to be guided by an educated intellect in 

 all he does. 



The lives of the lower animals are held far too 

 lightly by the majority of people. We expect to 

 find brutal and ignorant people wantonly and 

 indiscriminately destroying the animal life of the 

 country in which they dwell ; but we certainly 

 do not expect educated folk to do likewise. It 

 is high time the people of South Africa woke up 

 to the fact that a very large percentage — in fact, 

 the majority — of the species of the lower animal 

 and bird life of their country is of great economic 

 value to them. They should use this knowledge 

 in instructing their children, and in restraining the 

 native population in the war of extermination they 

 are waging against their animal friends. 



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