Who has ever seen a herd of giraffes bending down in their grotesque impossible attitudes to quench their thirst? A photographic record of such a sight would be invaluable now that the species is doomed to extinction. But, apart from such big achievements as these, trustworthy photographs of wild life in all its forms—even of the smallest beasts and birds—are of the utmost value, especially in the case of rare species that are dying out.
PHOTOGRAPHS OF (1) A SPOTTED HYENA (CROCOTTA GERMINANS, Mtsch.); (2) AND (4) STRIPED HYENAS (HYÆNA SCHILLINGSI, Mtsch.), AND (3) A JACKAL.
This is true not merely of Africa, but of other parts of the world as well. Who is attempting to secure photographic records of the great elk and mighty bears of Alaska? or of the wild life of the Arctic zone—the polar bear, the walrus, and the seal?
SNAPSHOT OF A JACKAL IN FULL FLIGHT.
The Arctic regions should be made to tell their last secrets to the camera for the benefit of posterity, nor should the wild sheep and ibex of the unexplored mountains of Central Asia be overlooked.
These things are not to be easily achieved, and they involve a considerable outlay of money. It would be, however, money well spent. Money is being lavished upon many other enterprises which could very well wait, and which might be carried out just as successfully some time in the future. These are possibilities, on the other hand, that are diminishing every year, and that presently will cease to exist. I trust sincerely that it may be my lot to continue working in this field.
“If only the matter could be brought home to the minds of the right people,” wrote one of our best naturalists, after examining my work, “tens of thousands of pounds would be devoted to this end.”