president's address. Ixvii. 



At a recent meeting of the Zoological Society African hunters 

 from various parts of the Continent were present. All told the 

 same tale — that animals wliich were abundant a few years ago near 

 the coast must now be sought for a month's journey inland. It is 

 much to be hoped that those who have authority over the vast 

 areas which have lately come under their protection will do some- 

 thing towards the preservation of the fauna of these territories. 

 Unless some stringent steps are taken to suppress the wholesale 

 destruction which is now permitted, the highlands of Africa will be 

 depopulated of the big game, which is diminishing each year in 

 lamentable proportions. 



Aquatic animals, such as Seals, can Avith ease be entirely 

 exterminated, especially when, like the Fur-seal, they forsake the 

 water and resort to land for breeding. The Fur-seals of the Pacific 

 and Antarctic are now nearly gone, except in two groups of islands — 

 one in Alaska, and the other in Siberia, where they enjoy Govern- 

 ment protection. Aquatic mammals which never leave the water, 

 like "Whales and Sirenians, and do not multiply rapidly, especially 

 when they breed near the shore, are also liable to extermination. 

 The Arctic Sea-Cow Rhytina delleri is extinct within the present 

 century, and the Pacific Grey-Wbale Rhackiayiedes gJmicus is 

 practically so. In the year 1877 a close time for Seals came into 

 operation, which includes an area between the parallels of G7° and 

 75° north latitude, and between the meridians of 5° east and 17° 

 west longitude from the meridian of Greenvfich. Not a Seal is 

 killed till April 3rd, The northern Seals are now no longer killed 

 without mercy when they come to suckle their young, and the 

 latter left in thousands to die of starvation. In the Zoological for 

 Alarch, 1885, is the following account of the destruction of a colony 

 of young Seals by sealers on the coast of Greenland: — " After great 

 exertions had been made to work through the ice, the breeding pack 

 was discovered covering a space of about eiglit miles in extent from 

 east to west, and one and a-half broad. Forty-eight men were sent 

 on to the ice to kill the young seals at one o'clock a,m. About 

 noon on April 7th the whole brood was killed," As no other 



