There are plenty of references in the Letter Book calendars for London to an
awareness of the problem vis a vis the conservation of fish in the Thames in
the 15th & 16th centuries - both in regards to water quality and the dangers
of overfishing with fine mesh nets.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Leslie Overstreet" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 3:34 PM
Subject: [HIST-NAT-HIST] Research query
> Hello all,
> I'm new to the list, although not to SHNH, and have a query to post on
> behalf of some colleagues.
> In the course of a project that I'm involved with the question came up:
> Were there comments (esp. published) on loss of species due to habitat
> degradation - either in North America or in Europe - earlier than Mark
> Catesby's letter to William Sherard of 16 January 1723/4? In that letter
he
> notes that some beautiful bulbs growing in the inhabited area of South
> Carolina 20 years earlier had since disappeared, apparently due to their
> being rooted up by cattle and hogs.
> This refers ostensibly to the effect of humans and their commensals on
> the geographical distribution of species, not to extinction as such. It
> seems likely that someone must have noted the same sort of thing in any
> number of places in Europe, but we need specific references.
> Do any of you have an answer? comments? suggestions for searching?
> Many thanks,
> Leslie Overstreet
> [log in to unmask] , or phone: USA (202) 633-1176
>
>
>
> PLEASE NOTE new phone and e-mail
>
> (Ms.) Leslie K. Overstreet
> Curator of Natural-History Rare Books
> Smithsonian Institution Libraries
> P.O. Box 37012
> NHB CE-G15 / MRC 154
> Washington DC 20013-7012
>
> phone: (202) 633-1176
> fax: (202) 633-0219
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> http://www.sil.si.edu/libraries/cullman
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