MOSTLY MAMMALS 



ANIMALS EXTERMINATED DURING THE 

 NINETEENTH CENTURY 



While the century which has lately closed may fairly lay 

 claim to the gratitude of posterity on account of the mag- 

 nificent tale of zoological work accomplished during its 

 course, it is, on the other hand, undoubtedly open to the 

 charge of having permitted the total extermination of not 

 a few animals, and of having allowed the numbers of 

 others to be so reduced that their disappearance, at least 

 as truly wild creatures, can scarcely be delayed very many 

 years longer. Possibly, if not probably, the sweeping away 

 of the enormous herds of many species, like those of the 

 American bison, may have been an inevitable accompani- 

 ment of the march of civilisation and progress ; but there 

 is no sort of excuse to be made for the fact that in 

 certain instances naturalists failed to realise that species 

 were on the very verge of extermination, and that they 

 were actually allowed to disappear from the world without 

 being adequately represented in our museums. Nor is it 

 by any means certain that even the present generation is 

 altogether free from reproach in this matter, for although 

 it cannot be said that any species hovering on the verge 

 of extermination are absolutely unrepresented in collections, 



