The Fauna of Tristan da Cunha

Abstract

The Faunal List of Tristan is thus so far as at present known made up as follows:—For a small group of islands inhabited by people of European stock for over 125 years, the record of only one species rendered extinct (and that survived by an almost indistinguishable cousin) is better than average and should be easily maintained provided—(a) the idea of properly “farming” birds is firmly inculcated into the islanders. Abstention from exploitation of scarcer species should be easy so long as the adequate provisioning of the island can be maintained.