316 THE WILDERNESS AND JUNGLE 



swarmed in the forests of Brazil. To-day the 

 latter are rare where once their jewelled plum- 

 age was a sight so common as to attract little 

 notice, and of egrets no fewer than a million 

 and a half have been known to be slain in a 

 single year. 



Civilised nations, waking up to the fate that 

 has overtaken some creatures and that threatens 

 others no less interesting, regretting the quagga 

 and anxious to avert the same doom from the 

 "white" rhinoceros, are taking counsel as to 

 how this praiseworthy object may best be 

 attained. They are, it must be confessed, a 

 little late in their deliberations, for much of the 

 mischief has already been done, but it may be 

 that game sanctuaries will be the means of 

 preventing more. It is, of course, essential 

 that these reserves should be as little artificial 

 as possible, the animals being left to forage 

 for themselves, else they would soon lose their 

 wild habits and degenerate into mere park 

 animals, like the so-called wild cattle of Chil- 

 lingham, Chartley, Vaynol and other breeds. 

 I say nothing against these park cattle. I 

 had those at Vaynol under close observation 

 for a week, and they are such interesting sur- 

 vivors of an ancient race that their owners have 

 made the nation their debtors for the care with 

 which they have preserved them. Yet no one 

 would compare them to the genuine wild oxen 



