In Wildest Africa -^ 



Jhit this idea oiigJit to include a great deal more than 

 is noiu the case. As I have already said, no nation has 

 known so well how to form a beautiful and poetical ideal 

 of the chase and the spirit of sport as the Germans have 

 done. But it is not to be denied that this perfect develop- 

 ment, even in its very completeness, has in a certain sense 

 become one-sided, in so far as sportsmen restrict their 

 protection and guardianship to certain species of animals ; 

 one-sided, too, inasmuch as to a certain extent they regard 

 their mission from the point of view of a close corporation. 

 In this there is a certain advantage, but also a certain 

 amount of danger now that, as a result of the rapid progress 

 of civiHsation, changes are introduced in every department 

 of life so much more quickly than in earlier times. 



Huntsmen and fishermen desire the complete extermina- 

 tion of all kinds of animals that they consider to be a 

 cause of injury to their sport. The result is the destruction 

 of many kinds of animals that are beautiful in form and 

 constitute an ornament of the landscape. By the same 

 kind of reasoning sportsmen, in their capacity of landlords 

 and forest owners, ought to demand the extermination of 

 the wild animals that obtain their food from field and 

 forest. Naturally sportsmen do not want this, but they 

 should, as far as may be, let themselves be guided by 

 higher points of view. This is the case already in many 

 instances. For example, as an instance of zealous game 

 supervision inspired by scientific principles, we have lately 

 had to welcome a valuable idea of Forest Commissioner 

 Count Bernstorff According to his plan, small labels that 

 will not annoy the animals (the so-called " Game marks ") 



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