412 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



sumed in a single year.* One woman has been known to snare 

 as many as 280, and another 127 Puffins in three hours ;t while, 

 on the authority of Mr. Sands, who lived on St. Kilda for about 

 nine months, it is stated that in one year alone close upon 90,000 

 were killed by the natives.} 



The giant Sturgeon or Hausen (Acipenser huso), with all the 

 protection afforded by great fecundity, was at one time to be met 

 with in the.Danube by thousands, " but relentless slaughter has 

 greatly reduced not only their numbers but likewise their size."§ 

 In Knssia the size of the Pike-perch (Lucioperca sandra) is be- 

 coming smaller owing to the demand being greater than the 

 supply. About 26,000,000 of these fishes are exported from 

 Astrakhan every year. || In Jersey Mr. Hornell states : — " I have 

 known as many as two hundred immature Guernsey Crabs (Can- 

 cer pagur us) in one man's basket, not one of which was of the 

 proper size of 4£ inches across the back, while time after time 

 I have seen men bringing back six to twelve or more Lobsters 

 averaging from five to seven inches long. What wonder, then, 

 that after such improvident and senseless procedure there should 

 ensue a period of dearth ? At every spring, tide hordes of men 

 and boys invade the littoral armed with basket and hook, bent 

 on an indiscriminate collection of Crabs and Lobsters of any size 

 procurable. "11" We have heard of decrease in the fish of the 

 Norfolk Broads, and we read : — " In a fortnight's fishing on 

 Oulton Broad, Suffolk, a lady and her husband have landed 

 2539 Boach."** 



It is needless to go on recording facts which are everywhere 

 obtainable proving that man's hand has fallen heavily on nearly, 

 every other living creature. What we have recorded is princi- 

 pally the effect of his direct action. His indirect action has been 

 equally destructive, and we can only find space to give a few 

 instances. The domestic Cat was introduced to the island of 



* Kearton, ' With Nature and a Camera,' p. 90. 

 f Ibid., p. 112. 

 J Ibid., p. 113. 

 § 'Eoy. Nat. Hist.' v. p. 515. 



|| Seeley, ' The Fresh-water Fishes of Europe,' p. 41. 

 IT ' Journ. of Marine Zool. and Microscop.' ii. p. 75. 

 ** « Sua,' October, 1902. 



