Mr. J.M. Kirk read a paper on “Animals Extinct within Historic Times” of which the following is an abstract: –
“Fifty years ago, it was quite easy to decide what was a fossil animal and what was not. Those which perished before the flood were considered as fossil remains, while those after the flood were not regarded as fossils. The extinction, however, of a fauna or flora has no necessary coincidence with the changes of Geological formations and it is only sensational geology which accounts for the different strata as the result of a series of catastrophes.
The past succession of forms of animal life upon the earth has been as gradual as a series of dissolving views. Collisions with inimical species has often a fatal ending, this, the dodo was exterminated by the swine introduced into the Mauritius. Mr. Darwin has shown that the struggle is more severe between species of the same genus when they come into competition with each other, than between species of distant genera.
Many Pleistocene mammals are still existing, but whose range is much restricted, such as Reindeer, Musk Ox, Glutton, Auroch, Arctic Fox, Elk, Lemming, Lagomys, or tail-less hare. Examples of total extinction in late years, are the Dodo, Solitaire, Moa, in New Zealand, the Œpiornis in Madagascar, Great Auk, Rhytina Stelleri, etc. In regard to the Great Auk or Gare-fowl, so recently become extinct, it is a prevalent mistake to think that it lived at a very high latitude, as there is only one instance on record of its having been found within the Arctic Circle.
Different species of birds are being eliminated in all parts of the earth, just as their predecessors were during the various geological epochs. Among animals known to have inhabited great Britain, but which are now extinct as far as these islands are concerned, are the brown bear, beaver, reindeer, wild boar, and wolf. The bison of America has ceased to roam the prairies, the quagga of the Cape has gone, the African elephant is being ruthlessly destroyed, and how long can the giraffe last? An Englishman’s idea of sport is ‘Let us go and kill something.’
What is the horrible scene of butchery which goes on at Farmborough each year from the first of August? Can a rare bird show itself for many hours without our reading that it ‘was shot’ somewhere? A big-game sportsman going out to Africa seems to take delight in ding what he can to annihilate species.
No antidote is yet discovered for snake bite which kills so many thousand of human beings every year, and yet by some moral twist our medical and scientific men are not allowed to try and cope with the gigantic evil. If the inestimable boon of a care for this is to be found, we appear to wish that the discovery shall be due to Germany or some other country, but our own guinea-pigs or rabbits must in no way help in this matter.
The Government of New Zealand perceiving while there is yet time that some of their interesting birds and animals may be saved from destruction, have set apart two islands on the principle of Waterton’s Yorkshire Park where no living thing may be disturbed. The thanks of all naturalists are due to them”