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THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 736.— October, 1902. 



NOTES FROM SOME ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS OF 

 WESTERN EUROPE. 



By Graham Renshaw, M.B. 



Plate II. 



The nineteenth century may be regretfully considered, from 

 a zoological standpoint, as an era of extermination, a host of fine 

 species having been recklessly blotted out by man since the year 

 1800. To instance only a few of these vanished forms, one may 

 mention the Black Emu, the Reunion Starling, the Philip Island 

 Parrot, the Labrador Duck, and the Great Auk. The disappear- 

 ance of these species alone is a great loss to zoology ; yet one 

 might easily multiply examples indicating only too plainly the 

 inexcusable havoc which has been caused amongst the lower 

 animals during the last hundred years. 



Brighter prospects, however, seem to be dawning with the 

 twentieth century. The more active measures taken to enforce 

 the due protection of the African great game animals during the 

 last decade appear already to have achieved considerable success; 

 whilst in other parts of the world the efforts of enlightened 

 Governments have been able to arrest the diminution of 

 threatened species, if one may rely upon the latest information 

 concerning the European Bison, the American Bison, and the 

 Scandinavian Elk. Moreover, the gun appears to be gradually 

 being abandoned in favour of field-glass and camera, the 

 observation of animals in their own haunts being now more 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. VI., October, 1902. 2 F 



