260 DOMESTICATED ANIMALS 



than some of our sister states. The same motive is seen in 

 the action of the State of Massachusetts, which a few years ago 

 created a Board of Trustees of Public Reservations, a cor- 

 porate body authorized to hold in perpetuity lands which are 

 intended to serve the public for pleasure and instruction. 

 The recent rapid extension of the park systems appertaining 

 to the cities of this country and Europe is a further illustra- 

 tion of the same motive which makes for the object which 

 we desire. It therefore seems not unreasonable to hope that 

 very soon we may find the governments of the greater nations 

 willing to go forward on the line of advance in which our own 

 has so well led the way. At the right time the United States 

 could probably do much to further the matter by asking for 

 international action in this admirable work. There is hardly 

 any undertaking which would afford a fairer chance for friendly 

 cooperation among the great states than this which looks 

 forward to the good of the time to come. 



While looking forward to the establishment of a system 

 of sanctuaries which may serve to protect examples of the 

 present life of all the lands, it is also well to consider what can 

 be done by local authorities and by individuals in the same 

 direction. The numerous zoological and botanical gardens 

 which have been established in different parts of the world 

 have in part the same motive that is to be embodied in the 

 larger institutions which we would see founded ; they seek to 

 preserve the interesting and instructive animals and plants, 

 and in some cases contrive to perpetuate the kinds. The 

 trouble is that their main purpose is to make a striking show, 

 one that will attract the eye and lead to profit of an immedi- 

 ate kind. If these institutions could be persuaded to add to 

 their former exhibitions grounds designed for the maintenance 



