I 



INTRODUCTION 



From the dawn of human existence, other mammals have had a very 

 direct and vital bearing upon the welfare, activities and destinies of the 

 human race. The ancient cave man was dependent on the flesh of mam- 

 mals for much of his food, and upon their skins for raiment with which 

 to protect himself from inclement weather. On the other hand, possess- 

 ing only rude weapons with which to defend himself and his family 

 from the attacks of large beasts of prey, he must have lived in constant 

 dread of them. From that remote period to the present time, every- 

 where mammals have played a large part in human life and have 

 exercised considerable influence upon history. 



True, man himself is a mammal. The biologist finds it difficult, if 

 not impossible, to believe that there would ever have been a human 

 race had there been no other mammals. If we could imagine a world 

 peopled with human beings and with no other mammals, surely the 

 development of civilization would have proceeded along very different 

 lines and probably the final results would have been different. Without 

 work animals of any kind, no mammals to draw plows or loaded 

 wagons, or to carry heavy loads on their backs, no swift horses or 

 camels to carry men and women long distances in a short time, no 

 wild or domesticated mammals to furnish meat, milk, butter, cheese, 

 cream, leather and other products, the human race would have been 

 greatly handicapped in its efforts to rise from a primitive state to an 

 enlightened condition. If at the present time some great catastrophe 

 should suddenly destroy all mammals but human beings, it would com- 

 pel an immediate revolution in our habits and methods of living, if, 

 indeed, it did not threaten the existence of our race. Furthermore, if 

 all the mammals considered destructive and detrimental to human in- 

 terests were suddenly destroyed, their elimination would certainly have 

 a far-reaching effect upon human activities, though no one is wise 

 enough or fully enough informed concerning all the complexities of 

 nature and her biological equilibriums to be able to determine whether 

 all of the results would be altogether beneficial. 



When we turn the pages of history we find the ancient patriarchs 



