Graham Renshaw

“ Sparrman, who visited the Cape towards the end of the eighteenth century, mentions that the first example of the species he met with was a sleek well-kept individual, very tame, and fond of being caressed by visitors. He also states that he saw a Quagga driven in the street harnessed with five Horses; and advocates the domestication of the animal, urging that it could at that time be more easily obtained than the Horse, that it would naturally eat the coarse grass of the country, and would probably be immune from the horse-sickness. ”

“ There were several aviaries in the Gardens, and the Bird Gallery was well stocked. Two beautiful Boat-billed Herons (Canchroma cochlearia) sat on their respective perches, one bird having the feathers at the base of the bill a delicate lemon-yellow, the other bird having the same feathers white. Photodilus badius sat sleepily on its perch, gazing on the spectator with all the dignity expected of an Owl which unites in the anatomy of its skull the characters of the Strigidæ and Bubonidæ. The glossy Starlings were well represented by the West African Juida ænea, with its long tail ”

“ In 1900 there was quite a large herd at the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, numbering eight individuals, of which at least three had been born in the menagerie. The young were fawn-coloured like the parents, and had small horns in the form of short backwardly directed divergent spikes. The colour of the Bubaline Hartebeest appears well adapted to protect it in its desert home. I found that the outlines of a menagerie specimen standing on a sanded floor and against the woodwork of its enclosure began to be indistinct at a distance of twenty-four yards. ”

“ Harris, however, tells us that even in his day these animals had disappeared from many places in the Colony where they had formerly abounded, although in the wild interior they still existed in immense herds. The species, though rarer, was yet very far from being extinct. About 1850, however, the Boer hunters appeared. Shooting neither for food nor for legitimate sport, but for hides alone, they attacked without pity the noble game animals which had delighted Harris and many others with their abundance and variety, and ruin fell everywhere on the denizens of this sportsman's paradise. ”

“ The collection of Parrots was very comprehensive, and contained the rare Hawk-billed Parrot (Deroptynus accipitrinus) . The Cockatoos were lively and in fine voice, screeching furiously and unitedly to form a most unmelodious concert. The Parrotlets were represented by the pretty little Psittacula galgula, with green plumage, varied by the yellow on the nape of the neck and the crimson of the throat and upper tail-coverts. The Kiwis (Apteryx mantelli and A. oweni) slept snugly under their straw, till I was able to induce the keeper to dislodge them for me to photograph. ”

“ I well remember a fine male, which I still possess, escaping from his prison, and the great rapidity with which he bounced along over a wide lawn, as if made of animated india-rubber, the tiny fugitive progressing at a lightning speed that rendered pursuit hopeless. ”

“ On the other hand, to-day we deplore the loss of many fine animals, some of which have perished from unknown causes, or from natural changes in their environment; the remainder, alas! have been directly harried out of existence by man, either for food—for the sake of the paltry commercial value of their skins or carcases—or (still less excusably) in sheer wasteful wanton destruction, the hunters killing for killing's sake. ”

“ The nineteenth century may be regretfully considered, from a zoological standpoint, as an era of extermination, a host of fine species having been recklessly blotted out by man since the year 1800. To instance only a few of these vanished forms, one may mention the Black Emu, the Reunion Starling, the Philip Island Parrot, the Labrador Duck, and the Great Auk. The disappearance of these species alone is a great loss to zoology ”

“ Taurotragus oryx (Eland) .—Ever since Lord Derby obtained his specimens of this fine Antelope for the Knowsley menagerie in 1842, Eland have been more or less familar even to untravelled people, and most zoological gardens have from time to time possessed a pair or more of them. The Striped or Livingstone's Eland is still to be obtained, but the rapidly increasing rarity of the old unstriped form of the Cape lends a melancholy interest to the contemplation of the few examples now in captivity. ”

“ If fed on suitable food, and allotted abundant room for exercise, captive animals will afford much instruction to any naturalist who will study them systematically; and, although results may be somewhat vitiated by the absence of the proper surroundings of the species under observation, at any rate this method is extremely convenient for the naturalist himself, especially if he have no leisure for foreign travel. ”

“ The male has survived all his wives, and is as lively as ever.
In concluding this article, I cordially recommend the Egyptian Jerboa to any naturalist in want of an out-of-the-way pet. Of convenient size, gentle disposition, engaging manners, and quaint shape, this little animal can be obtained at a very moderate price (say from four to seven shillings) of many London dealers, and is easily kept on crushed oats, millet-seed, or similar dry food. It does not require artificial heat save in the bitterest weather, provided it be kept indoors ”

“ The more active measures taken to enforce the due protection of the African great game animals during the last decade appear already to have achieved considerable success; whilst in other parts of the world the efforts of enlightened Governments have been able to arrest the diminution of threatened species, if one may rely upon the latest information concerning the European Bison, the American Bison, and the Scandinavian Elk. ”

“ At Rotterdam, the Gardens, which are close to the Delftsche Poort Station, possessed two examples of the Thibetan Black Wolf (Canis niger) ; a very interesting Siberian Tiger, the fur of which was remarkably delicate, the stripes being long and thin, and the whole animal presenting a pale washed-out appearance, contrasting markedly with the darker coat of the Malaccan Tiger in the next cage.
The Eagle aviaries were fine and spacious, and the Heron pond of very ample dimensions. ”

“ The curious former association of the Quagga with Ostriches and White-tailed Gnus (exactly paralleled by the mixed herds of Burchell Zebra and Brindled Gnu) was long ago observed and commented upon by Harris. We also know that the Quagga, though fleet, could be overtaken by a well-mounted rider; that wounded animals at bay would kick savagely and bite severely; that the flesh was oily and disgusting to Europeans, though relished by the natives; and that the northern limit of the range of this species was the Vaal River. ”

“ Amongst the vanished Mammalia was a beautiful Antelope—the Blaauwbok (Hippotragus leucophæus) —formerly inhabiting the province of Swellendam, in Cape Colony, but since 1800 at latest utterly extinct. So early was this fine animal exterminated, and so rare are its remains in museums to-day, the most recent being of necessity over a century old, that but very little is known about it; and for every zoologist who has heard of the Blaauwbok, there are probably five hundred who have heard of the Great Auk and the Norfolk Island Parrot. The Blaauwbok stood about 40 or 45 in. ”

“ Cervus davidianus (Père David's Deer) .—Much interest attaches to this very rare animal, since probably it is now utterly exterminated in the wild state, those now in captivity—a scanty band indeed—being all that is left of the species. I recollect seeing several in the Jardin d'Acclimatation some years ago, but they are all gone now. An old male still survives in the Jardin des Plantes—a faded-looking specimen, and not at all attractive, save for his great rarity. ”

“ Unstriped Eland tend to darken with age, and bulls may become quite black along the spine. Young bulls sometimes grow horns having an antero-posterior curvature, plainly evident when seen from the side, the concavity of the curve being anterior. One young adult I saw recently in a continental collection had the horns somewhat unequal, and curiously bent outwards at the tips, as if indicating an approach to the open spiral horns of the Kudu, or the still more open spiral of the Addax. ”

“ Moreover, the gun appears to be gradually being abandoned in favour of field-glass and camera, the observation of animals in their own haunts being now more popular than ever; whilst the recent publication of various excellent works illustrated with photographs of living creatures under natural conditions will tend greatly to increase the number of those who take greater pleasure in watching the habits of living mammal and bird, reptile and fish, than in examining mere museum specimens of the same animals. ”

“ The regret at the loss—actual or threatened—of these fine beasts, though real enough to the naturalist, is mainly sentimental; but there remains one species whose strength, speed, and proved docility only render its total extermination at the hands of the Boer hunters a matter for deeper concern. ”

“ The nearest living allies are the Roan Antelope (H. equinus) , a noble beast of sturdy appearance and imposing stature; and the yet more glorious Sable Antelope (H.niger) , jet-black above, snow-white beneath, its head armed with magnificent horns sweeping backwards in a scimitar-like curve. Le Vaillant compares a Blaauwbok which he saw at a distance to a white Horse ”

“ It has long been noticed that the first species to disappear are those of large size and limited range, being more conspicuous, and also relatively fewer in individuals than smaller and cosmopolitan forms. ”

“ Thus ends the brief record of the living animal, which has passed away for ever, with all its latent qualities for domestication unused, and even its habits but imperfectly known.
To turn to the last portion of this essay: the census of known remains—a melancholy inventory at best. ”

“ The species possessing this marvellous vitality flourish even under the most adverse circumstances, in spite of the attacks of countless enemies, even when man himself is added to the list of destroyers—such species as the White Cabbage Butterflies amongst insects, the Herring amongst fishes, the House-Sparrow amongst birds, and Rats and Rabbits amongst the Mammalia. ”

“ When standing "at ease" the Jerboa uses its tail as a kind of third leg, this tripod arrangement recalling similar habits practised by other mammals widely differing from the Jerboa—such as Kangaroos or Wallabies, and perhaps also the huge extinct Megatherium of South America. The Jerboa presses its tiny fore legs close to the chest, and the body projects forwards. When moving this little animal employs one of two gaits: (1) a quick run, each leg being moved alternately ”

“ These institutions should not be regarded merely as resorts for crowds of curious sightseers, but rather as extensive and very valuable biological laboratories where the fascinating science of zoology may be studied by means of note-book and camera rather than by the academic aid of microscope and scalpel. ”

“ From the little that is recorded of the animal, it appears to have been nowhere abundant. Le Vaillant gives as a locality, "the valley of Soete Melk, the only canton which they inhabit," and subsequently Lichtenstein mentions the mountains near the Buffalo-jagt River, between Swellendam and Algoa Bay, as one of the last refuges of the Blaauwbok. Le Vaillant obtained his specimen (a bull) in 1781; already it had become "the most scarce and beautiful species of the African Gazells." ”

“ A Quagga was formerly exhibited alive at the Berlin Zoological Gardens; its skin and skeleton are now in the Museum für Naturkunde.
(9, 10, 11?) "Several" Quaggas were obtained about 1870 by the Belgian consul at Port Elizabeth, and sent to the Antwerp Zoological Gardens.
No Quagga foals have ever been born in captivity. After careful inquiry, I learn that this species, has never been exhibited in the Zoological Gardens of Bristol, Cologne, Dublin, Frankfort-on-Main, Hamburg, Hanover, Lisbon, Marseilles, or Rotterdam. ”

“ The furred and feathered captives of to-day range from the schoolboy's Rabbits and White Mice, Pigeons and Canaries, to the Burchell Zebras and White-tailed Gnus, the Kangaroos and Emus of wealthy acclimatisation societies; and half-way between these extremes one may place various "out-of-the-way" pets—by no means ordinary domestic animals, yet also by no means unobtainable—such small specimens as Armadillos, Agoutis, Phalangers, and Wallabies. ”

“ Jerboas are very tough; the male I now possess once fell through a hole in the floor of a loft upon the concrete pavement of the room below, from a height sufficient to have seriously injured, if not killed, a human being. Nevertheless, though his muzzle was covered with blood when I picked him up, causing very laboured respiration for some time after, on revisiting him about three hours later he had already recovered, and was as active and lively as before. ”

“ Purple Sassaby, Red Hartebeest, Magpie Blesbok, Striped Kudu—these man can destroy, but cannot replace; and if this essay contributes ever so little towards the preservation of that magnificent fauna whose noble presence even to-day gives to many an African landscape the appearance of a vast zoological garden, it will not have been written in vain. ”