The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-11


ago by a firm IN New York. They were
owned originally b. an African chief. and
were ten feet three and one-hair inches
In length. One Of them weighed -
pounds and the other "a pcuads.
Arms Of precision. which rave reduced
slaughter to science. are rapidly de-
stroying the most valuable part of the
worlds fauna Animal after animal is be-
ing driven TO extinczzan- Wherever a use
ful beast Is found IN great and profitable
numbers. the first thought Is to go and
wipe IL out This, for obvious reasons Is
especially the case where the creature IN
viting attack is OF large size, and 30 the
most important animals In all regions
have been deliberately marked down for
determination What is not destroyed by
the hide-hunteF is sought for massacre by
the sportsman. who kills the noble ami
mails wholesale for sheer amusement.
This Impulse TO murder helpless creatures
for fun Is peculiarly Caucasian trait
DETERMINATION OF the Quassa.
There were formerly In South Africa
three very interesting animals related To
the horse-the luagga, the mountain re-
bra, and Burchell's zebra Only fifty years
In the lowlands of Cape Colony. Ii was
easily tanned, and might have furnished
domestic quadruped most useful to
man; but IL was ruthlessly shot down and
exterminated for the sake OF its hide and
now IL Is believed that not a single spec
linen survives in the world. The mountain
zebra, formerly so abundant in the noun
tainous parts Of Cape Colony that it was
hA al. tE
rare. The few survivors, protected by law
from hunters. seek the widest and most
sequestered spots. and. being fleet Of foot,
are very difficult to approach. BurchelPs
zebra has been to some extent domesti-
Gated and is used in coach teams
OF all the great African mammals, the
gorilla and chimpanzee, our nearest cous-
ins In creation. are least in need Of pro-
lection. Though they are far from numer-
Gus, they are defended by natural con-
oitions, dwelling in dense forests, where
miaSmic death awaits the white hunter.
A musty sort Of greenhouse air, laden
with poison. seems to pervade those
primeval woods. The gorilla is found only
in Western Equatorial Africa. its habitat
being comparatively limited In the region
IL occupies, however IL reigns supreme.
there being no lions, elephants, or rhi-
n0cerOses 10 dispute its sway 1t lives on
fruits and wandeTs about in bands, one
male baing accompanied by several fe-
males. II is said that the male gorilla
builds a nest in which the young one is
born. When full grown. he measures sixty
inches around the chest, and his arms are
OF prodigioUs strength. His face is an ex-
aggeratIOn Ct the lowest and most forbid
cling type of human physiOgnomy. The
chimpanZee Is a comraratively harmless
animal, and, while found in the gorilla
country, extends its range over all trop-
ical Africa At the same time it is numer-
ically scarce.
Animals Now Being Killed on.
The present generation has seen the
buffalo wiped off OF the Western plains.
The Alaskan fur seals are nearly gone,
and the distinct species of fur seal former
ly found on Guadalupe Island. off the
coast of California, seems to be entirely
extinct. Walruses. which were believed a
few years ago to be on the point OF ex-
termination, have slightly increased of
late in arctic waters. owing to the fact
that the attention Of hunters has been at
tracted to other victims for the time be-
ing. The sea COW became extinct in 1861
1t was related TO the manatee. reached a
length of thirty feet and a weight OF 5000
pounds, and was so good 10 eat that
whalers gobbled it up. Another huge am
rhibious animal Of the west coast, the
California sea elephant, was hunted for its
flesh and oil until the last one, as is be-
lieved, was killed few years ago.
The mOose--that huge game animal of
the northern border-is surely going. Ii
was never a numerous beast in the same
way as was the buffalo, and wherever en-
cOuntered ii is a target for the rifle. Con-
sequently, only a comparatively few are
left, and pretty soon there will be none in
existence outside of private preserves and
geological gardens. The American ante
lope cannot last much longer, though
herds of considerable size will probably
remain in the Yellowstone Park long att
er the animal has ceased to exist else
where in this country. Grizzly bears are
becoming very rare, and the day Is not
far distant when the last of them will
have departed.
The rapid determination of birds Is an
oft-told story. 1t may be worth while,
however, TO mention the case of a small
species of emu, originally restricted 10
Kangaroo Island off the coast of Aus
tyalia, which, being unable to fly, was
literally eaten out of existence by one
man who settled there as squatter. This
is doubtless the only case where a single
human being was responsible for the de-
struction of an entire species.