18 CONSERVATION OF CANADIAN WILD LIFE 



on extermination, of the buffalo was unavoidable, although, 

 as will be evident when the matter is more fully discussed 

 later, that reduction proceeded at a pace altogether out of 

 proportion to its necessity. The buffalo formerly ranged 

 over what have proved to be the most valuable grain-grow- 

 ing areas of the North American continent. With the set- 

 tlement and bringing under cultivation of those areas it 

 was inevitable that the range of the buffalo must become so 

 seriously restricted as to be a menace to the continued ex- 

 istence of this animal. Transcontinental railroads divided 

 the herds and hindered their normal migratory movements. 

 Settlement followed the railroads. From an economic 

 standpoint the case was against the existence of the buffalo 

 in anything approaching large numbers. 



To a lesser extent the reduction in the number of the 

 antelope was unavoidable, at least so far as its history in 

 the Northwestern States and Prairie Provinces of Canada is 

 concerned. By the extension of the wheat-lands and the 

 gradual reduction in the areas of range country the area 

 available for antelope was seriously reduced and circum- 

 scribed. That fact, of course, was unavoidable, and led 

 to the further reduction by shooting, which was avoidable. 



In a few cases animals have become extinct from natural 

 causes which were, of course, unavoidable. The case of 

 the Labrador duck (Plate I) affords an illustration of the 

 extinction of an animal from unknown causes. 



On the other hand the extermination of other creatures, 

 particularly birds, was avoidable. The extermination of 

 the passenger pigeon and the great auk was brought about 

 mainly by wanton destruction, as unnecessary as one could 

 imagine. One of the chief objects of wild-life conservation 

 is to prevent the extermination of animals where this is 

 avoidable and to maintain the remnant of those animals 

 whose reduction to the verge of extermination has been 

 brought about by causes which are largely unavoidable as 



