"I seldom go into a natural history museum without feeling as if I were attending a funeral"

John Burroughs' quote talks to the sadness of the natural world. He is revealing his grief for the creatures that have been lost to extinction, and the appeal of the natural world that has actually been destroyed. He is mourning the loss of the animals and plants that have actually been eliminated from us, and the habitats that have been destroyed. He is likewise revealing his sadness for the types that are still alive, but are threatened by human activities. He is lamenting the truth that we have not done enough to safeguard the natural world, and that we are still losing types and environments at an alarming rate. His quote is a reminder of the importance of protecting the natural world, and of the requirement to act to protect it.