New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-05
THE FAUNA OF THE PAMPAS.
IT'S TREMENDOUS INCREASE SINCE THE
ADVENT or \ LARGE HUMAN
POPULATION.
From The Spectator.

From The spectator.
When Darwin visited the pamuas and the
pebble plains of Patagonia. and crossed the
Campo Il Buenos Ayrcs. there were hundreds
Of leagues in which the plains were in me con
ditiOn OF the primitive steppe so Ike thpse 81
South Siberia that it is little surprising that
Darwin does not mention the parallel There
are the clay steppes and the pebble steppes as
in Central Asia the latter studded with thin
thorny vegetation and Inhabited as one natur-
ally expects, by the camel-like Wild liamas or
guanac0s. harellke CAVES. and F,scachas There
is q natural conformity' between these Great
ures Of the New World stony desert and the
Wild cames. the stepp- hares. and the sous
liks.' or Asiatc prairie dogs. Il the correspond
ing regions in the Old World. The two areas
of stony steppe had produced an almost identl-
cal fauna in two different hrmisphcr.s.
But Darwin vas more intent on the present
and past = the creatures Of the rampas ana
he southern deserts than IN drawing parallels,
lr On drawing differences from the production
Of analogous species on similar tracts IF the
-arths surface. on tho clay steppe Of the pam
pas h@ the curious phenomenon Of land
capable u supporting animal life in quantities
almost without parallel elsewhere. land where
thu natural grasses We're hindered in their
growth neither by shrub nor tree. and in parts
only broken by brilliant flowers geraniums.
scarlet verbena. wood sOrrel and enothere,
stretching ike an Atlantic Ocean u green from
the SEA 10 the foothills Of the COrdilleras on the
opposite side Of the continent. Nature seemed
90 have left out every product which could take
up room which would otherwise tle occupied by
the precious grasses. There were no useless
heritage by their shade. few marshes OF arid
belts e sand or salt I'D mountains. The steppe
.0-reI spontaneously that mOnotony of feature
which agriculture produces else" here after gen
-rat.lus u labor. II Was tn pastur" Of Rom
n-y Marsh multiplied by hundred thousand.
UN- some vast natural reclamation, made
r-ady f0r the nocks and herds Of continent.
Vt to consume this half-Willi0n square miles
- { ID. instead II legions u bison and Wapiu
l~-r. as N the Northern prarles. there were
lot enough native animals 10 crop the grasses.
u.h America has no Wi.d oxen. or Wild sheep.
ur goats. or ant-iopcs Cf those mammals which
j. docs possess. The sl0ths. monkeys and opOs-
sums lJ not descend further south than the
forest .ln'. and on tn pampas and the South
ern plains there was only one large native
ruminant animal. the pampas stag. With the
puma ana Jaguar, which have probably been
attracted south BY the increase II imported
animals which serve them rs food
\ FORMER SCARCITY OF ANIMAL LIFE.
Add 90 these the ant-eatrrs. arInados. the
ostrich Orhea) and the gorilla, or skunk pOlecat,
both ~ the last Of which have their COUNTERPART
N TIE South African steppe. and the consider
able mammals OF this steppe are exhausted.
DarAiD's h-iief was that this scarcity II animal
life on these plains was also very recent, and
hat be- splitting up q the continents u North
ana south America zOologically ~as Effected BY
fre rising 81 the high Mexican plateau. beyond
which few Northern species wandered south,
among them being the peccary. puma and Opos-
-gm. The < mt beasts ~ q previous though
late period were found both on tho panpas and
In North America when most II the now exist
.rg shells were living. Il know II no other IN
stance" Darwin writes. wi here Ne can almost
mark the period and manner u the splitting up
~ one e1c4t region into t"O well-characierized
geological provinces" We think the still later
changes IN This region. due solely . man. almost
as striking. Man has N = ln the blank l-it ny
Nature with fauna brought they" across the
ocean Tbs animals have multiplied faster
than ever Iid the bis p herds. and have hanged
or are changing. me slf-are - me Soy p'
Even at the beginning Vi the century these i--Is