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NATURE 



[January 6, 1921 



The Mammals of South Africa.* 



THE first two volumes of the work before us 

 were noticed in Nature of January 8, 1920, 

 p. 469. We recommended them as containing a 

 store of valuable information on the habits of the 

 wild beasts. A vivid and often fascinating de- 

 scription of the species, with many excellent illus- 

 trations, made the perusal of these volumes a 

 particular pleasure. 



A study of the two volumes now before us 

 justifies our recommendation. The illustrations 

 are mostly good, while the text is clear and at- 

 tractive. Technical terms have been avoided as 

 much as possible, and in many cases the author 

 gives us the origin and description of the Dutch 

 terms by which the animals are generally known 

 in South Africa. 



No wonder .South African farmers often 

 lack that sympathy for the preservation of wild 

 animals, and sometimes ruthlessly destroy every- 

 thing that they fancy is harmful to agriculture. 

 A number of species have already been exter- 

 minated, and are known only from old records 

 and from a few specimens still scattered about in 

 various museums. Of the interesting bluebuck, 

 all that is left are five mounted examples, and, 

 sadly enough, these are in foreign museums. 

 Of the quagga there are, fortunately, a few repre- 

 sentatives in our great collections. Yet an en- 

 lightened Government now protects species that 

 seem to need protection. The bontebok, blesbok 

 and springbuck, the noble kudu and eland, the 

 African buffalo, and even the white rhinoceros and 



The prospective emigrant to that part of the 

 world who may seek some enlightenment from 

 these volumes will be struck by the extraordinary 

 wealth and profusion of the fauna. What a para- 

 dise for the sportsman ! From the farmer's point 

 of view, however, the truly distressing prospect 

 has to be faced of dealing not only with almost 

 innumerable kinds of antelopes and other large 

 game, but also with twenty-four different kinds 

 of rats, including a giant rat attaining a length 

 of 2 ft. without the tail ; with wild pigs and hares ; 

 with many species of moles and other underground 

 creatures ; and with a voracious porcupine, all 

 eager to obtain their share of the fruits of agri- 

 culture. 



1 "The Natural History of South Africa." Bv F. W. Fitzsimons- 

 "Mammals." In 4 vols. Vol. iii.. pp. xiii-f-278; Vol. iv., pp. xix-t-27i. 

 London : Longmans, Green, and Co., 1920.) Price i2i. td. each vol, 



NO. 2671, VOL. 106] 



elephant, are carefully preserved in specially re- 

 served areas. 



Reckless and indiscriminate slaughter in the 

 past is no doubt partly responsible for the rarity 

 and extinction of some of the larger game; but 

 at times it became necessary for the farmer to 

 take energetic measures for the protection of his 

 crops. The stories of the vast herds of such 

 antelopes as the springbuck remind us of the de- 

 scription of the .'\merican bison in the United 

 States. At certain times the springbuck used to 

 migrate in countless numbers into the fertile dis- 

 tricts of South Africa. So prodigious were the 

 numbers that the springbuck even choked the 

 streets of the smaller villages. As late as 1892 

 a special issue of rifles was made to the Boers 

 bv the magistrate of the northern border of Cape 

 Colony for the purpose of turning aside a threat- 



