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NOTES ON A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF LIVING 

 MAMMALS DURING 1900-02. 



By Graham Renshaw, M.B. 



In spite of the rapid progress which the science of zoology 

 has made during the last twenty years, the study of living 

 mammals in captivity remains a comparatively neglected branch 

 of natural historj', being almost entirely left to the learned 

 members of zoological societies. The private individuals who 

 have systematically taken up this most interesting work may 

 almost be enumerated on the fingers of one hand — this neglect 

 of so fascinating a pursuit being all the more remarkable con- 

 sidering the activity displayed by naturalists in other departments 

 of the animal world. Thus numerous ornithologists, not only 

 throughout the United Kingdom, but also on the Continent, add 

 annually to our knowledge of birds by means of observations on 

 aviary specimens; reptiles and fish are now frequently exhibited, 

 thriving amongst appropriate surroundings ; and the life-history 

 of many insects is known from egg to imago, thanks to the 

 labours of countless entomologists. It is indeed to be regretted 

 that the highly organized class of mammalia does not as yet 

 obtain its due share of attention ; perhaps this is owing to the 

 comparatively small number of dealers who sell mammals as well 

 as birds, and also to the general impression that the former are 

 more expensive to buy and more difficult to keep than the latter. 

 It should, however, be remembered that a considerable variety 

 of wild creatures can always be purchased either in London or in 

 Liverpool ; and although those who recollect with pleasure the 

 herds of Eland, Sing-Sing Waterbuck, and White-tailed Gnu 

 in the Paris Jardin d'Acclimatation, or the herd of Bubaline 

 Hartebeests in the Jardin des Plantes, will recognize that the 

 exhibition and maintenance of such fine game animals demands 

 a great outlay of time, experience, and money. Nevertheless 

 there are very many lesser mammals (nowadays included amongst 

 the attractions of every zoological garden) which are not ex- 



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