The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-27
MANY CHANGES IN
BIRDS AND BEASTS
Almost Every Year Sees the Ex.
tinction of Some Form of
Animal Life.
AGENCIES AT WORK
Increase OF Every Creature, Says
Darwin, Is Constantly
Being Checked.
HOSTILE AGENCIES AT WCRK

Almost every year sees the extinction
of one or more animal and bird spe-
cies. Out of fourteen varieties of birds
found a century ago on a single island
the West Indian island of st. Thomas
eight have now to be numbered
among the missing.
1.-THE Increase Of every creature
says Darwin. lis constantly being
by unperceived hostile agen-
cies." BY such hostile agencies a fatal
decline In the numbers OF an animal
is sometimes brought about. Extinc-
ton has been a natural process
through all the ages; and although the
human race of late has been a con-
tributing factor in the doom OF many
animals, in numerous instances man
has but FASTENED what would in any
case have been inevitable.
The large bounties given by candi-
dates for the favor of the Roman
populace in ancient days when Wild
beasts were pitted against ~captives or
giadiators in the arena of the Colos-
assisted in depicting Northern
Africa of Its larger fauna. In those
days the hippopotamus Inhabited low
err Egypt and. indeed. two were killed
by an Italian. DIR. Zeringhi, at Da-
Meta as recently as 1900; and. ac-
cording to Sonnini de Manoncourt and
Button, the hippopotamus became ex-
tinct along the lower Nile near the
Mediterranean at no more distant
date than 1868.
Africa Has Many Chnngcs.
In animal extinction Africa in re-
cent centuries has suffered severely.
1t has lost forever the quagga, a kind
of zebra, which, though more plentiful,
was exterminated about 1865; the blue
buck Cor blaauwbok). destroyed by the
according to Sir Harry Johnston,
in tho early years OF the nineteenth
century, and the white tailed gnu,
which, IL 1t has not entirely vanished,
is on the verge Of extinction. The
square Tipped white rhinoceros and
the South African gemsbok are rapidly
a like fate.
The islands of the Indian Ocean have
suffered the loss Of many noteworthy
birds. The greatest celebrity among
do. When Mauritius was taken posses
sion Of by the Dutch, in 1898, the dodo
a comparatively common bird. So
helpless was this great fllghtless pig
con, however, and SO useful was 1t
for food for seamen and settlers tina
in less than a century it had COM
pletely vanished.
The last record we have Of 1t is con-
tanned In the journal of one Benjamin
Harry. when on his homeward voyage
around the Cape as mate OF an Indian
man, in 1881. Two other great birds
OF Mauritius, the flightless rail and the
giant coot, also persisted utterly in the
seventeenth century-he latter bird
surviving to almost the end of the
century and OUTLYING the rail by nearly
eight years.
No specimen OF the dodo's near rela-
tive. the solitaire of Rodriguez, I'VE
reached Europe. Common at the be-
ginning of the seventeenth century, 1t
was practically non-existent by the
middle of the eighteenth. The white
of Bourbon. first described In 1913
was on the verge Of assured extinction
sixty years later.
Famous BIRD Extinct.
Another famous bird, the gigantic
aepyornis Of Madagascar, was still ex-
listing, some think, in the eighteenth
century, since one European is stated
to have seen it alive in 1745. though
the evidence of this Is exceedingly un,
certain.
The valuable feathers of tho Ostrich
provide against its wanton extinction
by man, though most OF Its kindred
have already passed OF are doomed
The date OF the determination of TIL
moa Is still a debatable point. though
1t is possible that the last members o
this huge race were destroyed by tn
Maori immigrants Into New Iealant
from three to five centuries ago. "Th'
small black emu OF Kangaroo Island
plentiful in 1903, was wiped out in les
than a score OF years, The Tasmanial
emu, too. has been hunted to extinc
ton, a fate toward which. according Y
Mr.. Hudson, at least one South Ameri
can rhea is also tending. A relative
the wingless kiwi or apteryx, of New
Zealand, one Of the most singular bird
In the world, will probably soon be
come extinct.
New Zenland has also lost man,
other notable fauna, among them tn
dog formerly to be commonly observe
in the native villages. which had ac
%companied the Mnoris to New Zealan
from their older home In Polynen;
Another %flighless rail. the largest q
the blae water hens. Is believed !
have become extinct at no considerab!
distant date; and the New Iealan
quail, a common game bird hair o cen
fury ago, has been exterminated. IN
Norway rat, imported into New Iea
land. has compelled the native pIac
variety to seek n final refuge IN On
forest roccsses. Asia has been az
cidedly more fortunate In animal prs
\ seryution In recent times than an