Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-06-24
A WAR ON ANIMAL LIFE.
BIRDS. BEASTS AND FISHES BE-
COMING EXTINCT.
Mans Rapacity and Fashions Whims Have
Driven Valuable Species From the
Face of the Earth-Liter-
ally Eaten Up.

~ III lllO iOpOlb " NIL
Frederick Lucas OF the Smithsonian
institution on the animals recently
extinct or threatened with extermina-
ton, represented in the National
museum Of the United States. This
most interesting paper was suggested
by the recent efforts made by Ameri-
can naturalists to secure Tor their
museums specimens of animals for
merly quite common. which were
passing unnoticed out of existence
and of which in some cases it was
found that no living example could be
obtained. This led to national
stock taking OF the contents OF the
principal museums, and incidentally
TO review OF the process OF destruc-
ton as it is now going on.
Some OF the instances given says
the London Spectator seem almost in
credible Cod perhaps the most pro-
life fish used as food. were so COM
pletely destroyed on II part OF the
New England coast that when the
waters were restocSed with the pro-
duce of $50, 600 900 eggs the fisher
men of Plymouth. in Massachusetts
sent specimens of the new fish" to
Gloucester TO inquire what they were
The work Of the fishery commission
has already gone far 10 repair the
waste and destruction OF the New
England fishermen. though a strenu-
Gus resistance has always bcel offered
10 their efforts TO open the passage
! for shad aud salmon 10 the spawning
grounds. But the lobster 'canneries"
have so far depleted the apparently in
eXhaustible stock that the waters adj
iacent to the works are cleared of all
but those of the smallest size, and
even the great oyster grounds OF
Chesapeake bay are showing signs of
exhaustion, while halibut are growing
scarcer yearly. II the teeming re-
productive power OF the shad, the
cod and the oyster is unable to replace
the havoc ma 10 among them it may
safely be inferred that the birds and
beasts fare even worse in the unequal
struggle for survival
Perhaps the nearest approach in
mass and multitude to the shoals of
fish once to be found of the American
coasts was the natural passage and
assembly for nesting OF the passenger
pigeons. Audubon once counted 1863
tocks OF these birds flying past him
in tweuty-one minutes: and Andrew
Wilson from the data supplied by him,
estimated the number OF pigeons pass
ing over certain observed area at
]. l15. 1876. 600. Whatever be the value
OF this astonishing conclusion. it is
certain that Dr. Sagnisch a German
naturalist saw in one valley a wood
nine miles long, in which the pigeons
had occupied with their nests every
tree and sapling across the breadth OF
the valley, some trees holding from
fifteen 10 twenty nests from which
the young were shaken down into
sacks, baskets and carts by the peo-
pie who came to collect them.
Not content with this prodigality of
nature. the greedy pigeon-h hunters of
| Michigan have for years shot the nest
ing parent birds, together with the
young until they are stated 10 be
now unknown in most of those To-
calities over which they passed"
Fashion attacks the birds which
appetite spares and one American
dealer sold =. 600 coo bird-skins in a
year; but civilization is not alone to
blame for this. Those of the Pacific
Islanders whom America has taken
or would like to take under its pro.
lection were the first offenders, and
the 'mamo." the sickle bird" OF the
Pacific, was destroyed to obtain the
two or three feathers which. plucked
from each, went to war-cloaks such as
that completed for Kamehama l.. after
a period of manufacture which COW
cred the reigns OF eight preceding
sovereigns. in which poll taxes were
paid in the coveted feathers. and a
retinue OF royal bird -catchers was in
permanent employment.
The number OF 1uadrupeds which
have either vanished or are on the list
of the prescribed extends far beyond
the names o, the bison and the moose
and the fur-seals though maltreated
and prosecuted by the proving hunt
ers on their way to their breeding.
places. are In no such danger Of ex-
| termination as some of the southern
species.
1t is characteristic example OF the
bias OF the supreme Caucasian mind"
in its dealing with new animals that
when Columbus sailors were sent to
the top OF the islet OF Alta Vela in
the West Indian archipelago to look
for missing ships when engaged in
the search for the mythical province
OF Cipango, they at once marked their
Joy at finding eight sea wolves" by
knocking them all on the head. These
sea wolves" were common all over
the archipelago. and off the coast OF
Florida and the Gulf Of Mexico. but
now scarcely to be found on the main
| land coast at all.
1t recently occurred 10 certain per-
sons interested in natural history that
nothing had been heard lately OF the
California walrus a huge and harm
less beast which was recently quite
common on the coast OF Lower Cali
fornin. II could hardly be supposed
that herds OF creatures from II TO is
feet long. and OF equal or even greater
girth. could disappear from the coast
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