tiie FIRST ANNUAL REPORT or TltB Strlimafeaiimt of firforia, WITH THE ADDRESSES Delivered at the Annual Meeting of tho Society held November 24th, 1802, at tho Mechanics’ Institute, Melbourne, by HIS EXCELLENCY SIR HENRY BARKLY, K.C.B. PROFESSOR M'COY. MELBOURNE: Wuson & Mackinnon, Printers, 78, Collins Street East. 1862. ♦ # LIST OF THE OFFICERS OP THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY. PATRON. HIS EXCELLENCY SIR HENRY BARELY, K.C.B. COUNCIL. PRESIDENT. EDWARD WILSON, Esq. ACTING-PRESIDENT. THOMAS BLACK, Esq., M.D., &c. &c. VICE-PRESIDENT. FERDINAND MUELLER, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., &c. &c. J. P. BEAR, Esq. S. H. BINDON, Esq. R. II. BLAND, Esq. HUGH CHAMBERS, Esq. THOMAS KMBLING, Esq. F. R. GODFREY, Esq. C. J. GRIFFITHS, Esq. COMMITTEE. W. LYALL, Esq. Profkssor M'COY. ALBERT PURCHAS, Esq. A. R. C. SELWYN, Esq. JAMES SMITH, Esq. SAMUEL WILSON, Esq. HON. TREASURER. T. J. SUMNER, Esq. HON. SECRETARY. W. H. ARCHER, Esq. SOCIETY’S OFFICE : No. 30, SWANSTON STREET. SOCIETY’S DEPOT : ROYAL PARK. Mr. GEO. SPRIGG, Secretary. REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30th JUNE, 1862. The Council of the AcclinunRation Society, in submitting to the Subscribers the l'irst Annual Report, of its transactions, must take leave to remind the Members that the Operations of the past year have been necessarily of a preliminary character, involving efforts and entailing an expenditure disproportionately large if measured by the immediate results obtained, but necessary and judicious when taken in connection with the future conduct and general objects of the Society. Its practical organization was a work which engaged the earliest attention of your Council, and the erection of the fences and buildings at the Royal Park was vigorously prosecuted, and was soon sufficiently advanced to admit of the reception of nearly all the quadrupeds and most of the birds belonging to the Society. Those, still remaining at the Botanical Gardens will be removed as speedily as circumstances will allow. In consequence of the increasing correspondence necessitated by the enlarged exertions of your Society, it was found needful to engage the services of a Secretary, and, consequently, in accordance with the ninth rule, your Council appointed Mr. George Sprigg, who has been very active, zealous, and efficient in the discharge of his duties. The total sum received from Subscriptions and Donations is £ 1172, and in addition to the £3000 voted by Parliament for the main¬ tenance of the Society, (of which amount the Council has received £1850,) the Council have received £2500 for buildings and fences, and £910 from special v otes passed in previous years for particular objects. By a reference to the Balance Sheet accompanying this report, it will be seen that of the amount placed as expended, £1300 still remains available to the gentlemen to whose care it has been entrusted. The Council have the pleasure of notifying the foundation of sister Societies in the neighbouring colonies of New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania. In August, 1801, your President Mr. 6 Edward Wilson, visited Sydney, and whilst there succeeded m inaugurating the Acclimatisation Society of New South Wales. In January, 1862, he visited Hobart 'Fowl, and initiated the Acclima¬ tisation Society of Tasmania, and, although unable to accede to the request of Sir R. G. McDonnell to visit Adelaide, Mr. Wilson ad¬ dressed a letter to the “ South Australian Register,” in which he powerfully urged the advantage of Acclimatisation, and this led to the formation of the Acclimatisation Society of South Australia. Duriii" a visit paid to the various provinces of the middle island of New Zealand in the summer of 1861 and 1862, Dr. Thomas Black succeeded in interesting several M the influential residents there in the cause of Acclimatisation, anFsince his return, the Council, at his suggestion, have entered into a correspondence with the re¬ spective Governments of Otago, Canterbury, and Lyttelton, which it is anticipated will be followed up by a grant of money by the Legislatures of these provinces for the introduction of certain animals. °The Council have to deplore the loss of two illustrious persons identified with the cause of acclimatisation. By the death of H. 11. H. the Prince Consort, the Society has been deprived of a zealous friend, to whom it was not only indebted for a present of roc-deer, but who was atthevery time of his lamented decease engaged in preparing a selection of game for tliis Society. The second calamity which the cause has sustained during the current year, was the death of Monsieur Isidore Geoffrey St. Hilaire, the father of modern acclimatisation, and the late President of the French Society. In view of these afflictive events, the Council thought they should be only cariying out your views in addressing letters of condolence to Her Majesty', and to the French Acclimatisation Society. Several changes have taken place in the personnel of the Council, during the year. In January, Mr. H. L. Taylor resigned, and was re¬ placed by Mr. James Smith. In February, Messrs. Edward Cohen and John Alves resigned, and were succeeded by Messrs. R. H. Bland and Germain Nicholson. In May, Colonel Anderson resigned, and was replaced by Mr. A. R. C. Selwyn. In June, Mr. W. Watts resigned, and Mr. E. J. Hogg was elected to fill his place, and it now devolves upon this meeting to fill the vacancy in this Council caused by the resignation of Messrs. D. S. Campbell, E. J. Hogg, and Germain Nicholson. Mr. Edward Wilson on quitting the colony in March last, placed his resignation as President in the hands of the Council, hut entertaining the conviction that they would be only carrying out the wishes of every individual member of the Society, they' requested him to retain the office of President, and engaged to appoint an Acting-President to officiate during his absence. Accordingly at the request of the Council Dr. Thomas Black undertook the duties of Acting-President. The Council have ventured to nominate as Life Members of the Society, Mr. Lachlan Mackiunon, in acknowledgment of the zealous services he has rendered to the Society in England, and Mr. Albert Purclias, in acknowledgment of his valuable cooperation, and of the profes¬ sional ability he has generously placed at the disposal of the Society as Honorary Engineer and Architect. The Council have likewise nominated as Honorary Members the following gentlemen in their capacity as Consuls for their respective countries, viz., Argentine Confederation, J. A. Newnham ; Belgium, Gustave Beckx ; France, A. Truiy ; Hamburgh and Bremen, Adolph Scholstein ; Italy, James Graham; Netherlands, J. W. Ploos Van Amstel ; Portugal, Kicardo Cooper ; Prussia, Moritz Michaelis ; Russia, James Damyon ; Spain, George Kohler; Switzerland, Samuel Rentsch ; Sweden, Norway and Denmark, J. B. Were; United States, W. Blanchard; and these nominations now await your confirmation. With the money received from Government the following works have been executed at the Royal Park :— Superintendent’s house. 10 Shelter houses, of various kinds, for deer, Ac. 2 Pheasantries. 1,750 yards of 7 feet boundary fence. 1,550 „ 5 „ picket fence. 3,141 „ post and rail (4 rail) fence. 2,400 „ 5 ft. 6 in. strained wire fencing. 100 » 6 „ » „ 600 „ 5 „ 6 in. picket fencing. 320 » 4 „ „ „ In addition to which, great progress hits been made with the planting, and the Yan Yean water has been brought into the centre of the enclosure. The Council have entered into direct and continuous correspond¬ ence with the sister societies of England, France, Sicily, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania, and from some of these, valu¬ able returns have been made for the specimens of native animals sent from here : thus, from Paris, a pair of ostriches (both of which unfortunately perished on the voyage), and a pair of zebus (one of which has arrived) have been sent; and from Tasmania, the society have received 8 English tench. s Two attempts lave been made to send over the lobster and crab, by Mr. Mackinnon, but both have unhappily failed. The failure also of the second attempt made, under the auspices of the Associ¬ ation for the Australian Colonies, to introduce the salmon to Tasmanian waters, is too fresh in your minds to require comment ; likewise the attempt made by Captain James Lowry, in the Formosa, to introduce the Gouramier from Mauritius, although both theso attempts only more clearly show the feasibility of the scheme, if con¬ ducted with more experience and under more favourable circum¬ stances. While, as the Council remarked at the outset of this Report, its labours for the past year have been of au initiatory character, it is believed that the foundations have been securely laid for a great and beneficent work to be accomplished hereafter. To bring such a society into communication with cognate bodies in distant countries, to establish a system of co-operation and exchange, with persons residing at diiferent points in the far quarters of the globe, and to arrange for the reception, multiplication, and distribution of birds and other animals, which must first of all bear a tedious sea voyage, and then receive the vigilant attention necessary to preserve them in . a new climate, demaud exertions which are not the less onerous because they escape notice. The Council record, with some satisfaction, that two prize medals have been awarded to the Society by the jurors of the International Exhibition, now being held at London : one of these was especially awarded for Angora wool, and the other for general objects of use and interest. Meanwhile, it is satisfactory to reflect, that besides the practical work performed, much valuable information has been widely diffused, public attention has been drawn to the paucity of serviceable animals in this Colony, and private enterprise is beginning to second associative elfort. Measures are now in progress for the speedy introduction and acclima¬ tisation of Roedeer, Partridges, Rooks, Hares, Sparrows, and Song¬ birds, from England; Deer, Cashmere Goats, and Black Partridge, from India: Ostriches, Pheasants and Partridges, and Antelopes, from the Cape of Good Hope; for all of which the money has been remitted, and the Council would point with some gratification to the following extract from one of Mr. Duffield’s letters : 1 shall ever remember, with the greatest pleasure, that it was owing to your sympathy and energetic support that I remained in Melbourne, and so ultimately succeeded in making arrangements for carrying out our purposes in the moat satisfactory manner.” Mr. 9 Duffield refers iiere to his arrangements to import 1,500 Alpacas into Victoria. The Council desire to record their deep sense of gratitude to the donor of the “ Argus Prize Cup” for having this year devoted that cup to objects so immediately connected with acclimatisation. The Council cannot conclude without expressing theirbest thanks to His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly for his active and valued patronage — to Mr. Edward Wilson for his kind advocacy of the Society’s wants at home — to Dr. Black for the unwearied diligence with which he has tilled the office of Acting President — to Dr. Mueller who, in spite of liis multifarious duties, has been untiring in his devotion to the cause of acclimatisation — to Mr. T. J. Sumner for his useful ser¬ vices as Honorary Treasurer- — to Mr. W. H. Archer for his kindly help as Honorary Secretary — to Mr. H. J. Chambers, for his important ser¬ vices as honorary legal adviser to the Council — to Messrs. Samuel and Charles Wilson of the Wimmera, for their valuable co-operation — to Messrs, llichardson, Johnstonand Co., of Mauritius, Messrs. Gillanders, Arbuthnot and Co., of Calcutta, Mr. It. S. It. Fussell, of Eon Chou — to Mr. C. P. Layard of Colombo, Mr. Edward Blythe of Calcutta, Captain Bnyley of Point de Galle, Captain lteid, Admiralty Agent, and to Mr. J. W. Brookes, of Sydney, for their valuable services rendered in aid of the Society’s objects. The Council must refer in terms of gratitude to the liberality of the Legislature, and express an earnest hope that the same wise and enlightened bounty will continue to be exercised towards the Society, confident as its members are that the consequences of such a policy will be the aggrandisement of the colony, and the multiplication of its industrial resources, while its attractions as a place of residence will be materially enhanced when it offers to the lover of nature and the sportsman the same sources of pastime and enjoyment with which lie was familiar in the country from which he emigrated, nor is it too much to expect that as important results will eventually flow from the introduction of the Alpaca and Cashmere Goat as have followed that of the sheep. No country in the world is so favour¬ ably circumstanced for acclimatisation purposes as Victoria, and it is within the power of its inhabitants to enrich it by stocking its broad territory with the choicest products of the animal kingdom borrowed from every temperate region on the face of the globe. To this good work the Acclimatisation Society addresses itself and hopes to command such a measure of public support as will enable it to fulfil the enterprise it has undertaken with honour to itself and with advantage to the whole community. ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY. Sr. _ From the foundation of the Society in February, 1861, to the 38fA June, 1862. ®t. 10 ooooooooo OOOOOOOOJO gggssssss OHIO • • 2 d £• ;g« ~ C3 n I S-5g'S4 . C k u u 5*5 Co;® .. e> — r; . H « fcC *5 8| ccf^ g*p 31 co w 5 ? fl P CU a o « TJ d CJ 'S d a ctf X > c5 rS X vO P >r> uatciu- r.j-.F jy .su.HwuPnf 11 LIFE MEMBERS. All Members marked thus * pay their Annual Subscription also. ♦Barkly, His Excellency Sir Henry, Toorak .. .. £21 0 0 “Bear, J. P., Queen Street 21 0 0 •Bear, Thomas H., Heidelberg.. 10 10 0 ♦Black, Dr. Thomas, Melbourne Club.10 10 0 Bright Brothers, Messrs., & Co., Flinders Lane.10 10 0 Brown, Lindsay, Oarramadda Wahgunyah •» •. . . 10 10 0 Catto, John, Newbridge, Loddon 10 10 0 ♦Coppin, Hon. G., M.L.C., Cremome .10 10 0 ♦Dalgety & Co., Messrs., Little Collins Street.10 10 0 ♦Docker, Rev. Joseph, Wangaratta 21 0 0 Ftrebrace, H. T., Heyfleld, Gipps Land.10 10 0 Fussell, R. S. R., Fou Chou, dols. 60 . . • .. 11 0 11 Glass, Hugh, 18, x’Beckett Street .. 21 0 0 ♦Haines, W.C., The Hon., M.L.C., Melboumo Club *. • • 10 10 0 •Henty, S. G.,The Hon., M.L.C., 31 , Market Street .. .. 10 10 0 ♦Honey, M., The Hon., M.L.C., Melbourne Club .. .. 10 10 0 •Hoffmann, W., Brush Buck, Essendon .. .. .. 26 0 0 Jones, Lloyd, Avenel .. .. 10 10 0 Kennedy, Hon. D., M.L.C., Lansdowne Terrace, St. Kilda 10 10 0 Lcannonth, Thomas, Erdbdan- riley, Portland .. • • £10 '0 0 Lyall, W., Frogmoro .. .. 10 10 0 Martin, Dr., Heidelberg .. 10 10 0 Mackenzie, John, 70fc Queen Street. McGill, A., . McHaffic, John, Phillip Island.. McIntosh, Alexander, Green Hills, Diggers Rest .. McMillan, A., Roacneath, Gipps Land. Molloy, W. T., Balmoral Municipal Council of Ballarat 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 10 O 10 10 0 10 10 0 West .. 20 0 0 Nicholson, Hon. W., 13, Flinders Street West.. 10 0 ♦Nicholson, Gennain, Collins Street East.10 10 0 ♦Power, Hon. Thomas H., Haw¬ thorne . 10 10 0 •Rostron, John R., Navarro .. 10 10 0 ♦Rutledge, William, Belfast .. 10 10 0 Sargood, King, & Sargood, ^ Flinders Street West .. 10 10 0 Sloan, W. S., Fou Chou, dols. 50 . *. 11 0 10 ♦Spowers, Allan, “ Argus ” Office 10 10 0 Sumner, T. J., 24, Flinders Lane West.10 10 0 ♦Taylor, W., Overnewton, Keilor 10 10 0 ♦Wilson, Edward, “Argus"Office 21 0 0 Wilson, Samuel, Wimrnera .. 10 10 0 ANNUAL MEMBERS. All Members marked thus * are Life Members also. Adams, Francis, Seymour ..220 Addison, Jeremiah, 3, Flinders Lane East .2 2 0 Adeney, Wm., Chocolyn, Oam- perdown .. . • - ■ ..220 Anderson, W. M.. Oriental Bank 2 2 0 Anderson, Sharp, & Wright, Carroll Timber Yard .. .. 2 2 0 Alves, John, 81J, Ellzabeth-st. ..220 •liarkly, His Excellency Sir Henry K.C.B.10 10 0 Baines, Edward, Little Collins Street East .2 2 0 Baynes, J. B., Colonial Bank .. 2 2 0 Bancroft, Captain, Government House.2 2 0 Beaney, J.G.,154,CollinsSt.East 2 2 0 ‘Bear, Thos. H., Heidelberg ..220 Bcckx, Gustave, 01, Flinders Lane West .2 2 0 Beckett, T. T. a, Hon., M.L.C., Temple Court.2 2 0 12 Benn, John, 24, Flinders Lane West -. * • • • ..£22 Bindon, S. H., Temple Court .. 2 2 ♦Black, Dr. Thomas, Melbourne Club .2 2 Black, Dr. Joseph, Bourke Street West .2 2 Bland, K. II., Collins Street East 2 2 Bond, Thomas, Benalla .. .. 2 2 Briscoe & Company, II, Collins Street East .2 2 Brodribb, K. E., M.L.A.,51, Little Collins Street West .. .. 2 2 Brumby, Dr., Church of England Grammar School 2 2 Brown, Charles, S3, Bourke Streot West . + „ „ .. ..22 Brown, J. A. Melbourne Club 2 2 Brown, G. G., Ilall of Commerce 2 2 Brunswick Municipality .. .. 2 2 Buchanan, Isaac, Boseneath, Gipps Land .2 2 Buckley & Nunn, 27, Bourkc-st. East .2 2 Butchart, James, 56, Bourke Street West .2 2 Callender, James, 33, King Street 2 2 Campbell Brothers, G3, Flinders Street West .. .. ,,22 Campbell, D. S., Bank Place ..2 2 Campbell, Colin.2 2 Cansiek, F., 9, Collins Street East 2 2 Caplc, James, 29, Collins Street West .2 2 Carsen, John, 39, Collins Street East ., 2 2 Carter, G. D., 70, Little Collins Street East .2 2 Carter, Ernest, 50, Russell Street 2 2 Casey, J. J., Sandhurst .. .. 2 2 Cliambers, If. J., 72, Queen-st. 2 2 Chapman, His Honor Judge, Temple Court.2 2 Clarke, William, 86, Elizabeth Street.2 2 Clarke, Jolin, 100, Bourke Street West .2 2 Clark, Richard, Benalla .. ..22 Clark, \Y T alter, Glenarro, Bulla .. 2 2 Clough, J. H., Messrs., Ill, Col¬ lins Street West .. . • 2 2 Cole, Hon. G., M.L.C., Cole’s Wharf.2 2 Cooper, Horatio, St. Hilda .. 2 2 ♦Coppin, Hon. G. W., M.L.C., 7, Bourke Street West .. .. 2 2 Cowdcroy, Benjamin, 38, Collins Street East .2 2 Gumming, Alexander, 18, Collins Street East .£2 2 0 Currie, J. L., Cressy .. ..220 Day, Dr., Geelong. 2 2 0 Dickson, I. C., Flinders Street .. 2 2 0 Dickson, Thomas, Queen Street 2 2 0 Dill, George, Argus Office ..220 ♦Docker, Rev. Joseph, Wangaratta 2 2 0 Donald, W., Buuinyong, Mount Jcffcott.. . . Dowuie & Murphy, Queen Street 2 2 0 Drysdale, Thomas, 112, Collins Street West .2 2 0 Eddington, Graham, The Gums, Carramut .2 2 0 Eddington, A. C., Bullangeich .. 2 2 0 Enabling, T., Kcw .. . • ..220 Falconer, J.J., Bank of Australasia 2 2 0 Falk, P., & Co., 38, Little Collins Street West .2 2 0 Farrar, W. I J., 63, Little Collins Street West .2 2 0 Ferres, John, Government Printer 2 2 0 Finlay, John, Emerald Hill ..220 Findlay, James, Tnlangutta Albury.2 2 0 Fisher, Iiicards & Co., 114, Col¬ lins Street West .. ..220 Fitzgerald, J. B., Midwood, Portland .. . • ..220 Fitsgibbon, E. G., Town Hull . . 2 2 0 Fleetwood, T. K., Little Collins Street West .. . . Flower, Horace, Belfast .. .. 2 2 0 Ford, Wm., 07, Swanston Street 2 2 0 Francis Bros., 15, Queen Street 2 2 0 Francis, J. G., M.L.A., 20, King Street.2 2 0 Fraser & Cohen, 14, Collins Street West .. 2 2 0 Fulton,Thomas, & Co., 129£ Flin¬ ders Street West .. .. 2 2 0 Garwell, John, Benalla .. .. 2 2 0 Goldsborough, R. & Co., Bourke Street.2 2 0 Graham, James, 99, Little Collins Street East .2 2 0 Grant, Daniel, 68, Elizabeth St. 2 2 0 Gray, Charles, Carramut.. ..220 Gumer, H. F,, 192, Collins Street East .2 2 0 ♦Haines, Hon. W.C.,M.L.O., Mel¬ bourne Club .. - ♦ ..22° Haigh Brothers, 68, Colling Street East ,. .2 2 0 Harris, Nathaniel, & Co., 36, Elizabcth-utreet .. .. 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 Hcalcs, Mrs., Elstemwick ..£2 2 0 Heape, Charles, 61, William St. 2 2 0 Hearn, Professor, University *.. 2 2 0 Hemphill, James, Queen Street 2 2 0 •Henty, non. S. G., M.L.C., Market Street . 2 2 0 Henty.Hon. James. M.L.C.,11, Little Collins Street West .. 2 2 0 Honty, Henry, 11, Little Collins Street West .2 2 0 Henty, Herbert James, 11, Little Collins Street West .. .. 2 2 0 Henty, Edward, Portland ..220 "Hcrvey, Hon. M., M.L.C., Mel¬ bourne Club . 2 2 0 Hetherington, Charles, 8, Collins Street West . 2 2 0 Highett, Hon. W., M.L.C., Mel¬ bourne Club.2 2 0 Higinbotham, George, M.L.A., * Hoffmann, W., Bush Back, Essen - don .. .. , , ..220 Holt, Hon. Thomas, Sydney .. 2 2 0. Hood, Robert, Hexham . . .. 2 2 0 Horne, George, 1, Collins Street West . 2 2 0- Hose, John, Talangatta, Albury 2 2 0 How, E. II. , Fou Chou .. .. 2 4 2 Howard, R., Temple Court ..220 Howes, D. J. r Belfast .. ..220 Jackson, R. II., Crown Lands Office , . .. ♦, ..220 Jermyn, D., Belfast .. .. 2 2 0 Johnston, Hon. J. S., M.L.A., St. Hilda .2 2 0 Jones, Henry, Sandhurst ..220 Jones, Henry, Birrum, Apsley .. 2 2 0 Joshua, J. M., 46, William Street 2 2 0. Kennedy, Hon. I)., M.L.C., Lans- downc Terrace, St. K Ida .,220 Kenny, Thomas, 46, Collins Street West . 2 2 0 Kerr, U. A, H., 41, Collin* Street East . 2 2. 0 Konpr, Meng & Co., Little Eourke Street .. .. , , ..220 Lane, ,J. p., Bacchus Marsh ..220 Lang, o. t., Melbourne Club .. 2 2 0 Lericks, James, & Co., 1JS, FUn- *iors Lane West.. .. .220 Levey, N\, M.L.A., 18, Collins Street East ., 2 2 0 Lewellin, Mrs. } Prahran .. .. 2 2 0 Line, W. II., FooChow .. 4 8 4 Lyons, David, 96, Swatuton Street 2 2 0 Mackintosh, James, Olenroy, Mooneo Ponds .. - „ . Macfarlanc, A., * Co., 13, Flinders Lane East *. .. ..£220 Maekay, George C.,TcmploCourt 2 2 0 Martin, George, & Co., 25, Mar¬ ket Stroet .2 2 0 Marsh, L. H .2 2 0 Martelli, A., 36, Collins Street East .2 2 0 Mathowson & Sons, 11 , Bourko Street West . 2 2 0 McCoy, Professor, University ..220 McCracken, R., 120, Little Collins Street West . 2 2 0 McEwan & Co., 21 , Swanston Street .. 2 2 0 McKcrsio, Love, & Co., 69, Flin¬ ders Lane East. 2 2 0 McLeod, H. L., Apsley .. 2 2 0 McLachlan, John, Rich Avon, St. Amauds . 2 2 0 McLachlan, Ronald, Rich Avon, St. Amauds. 2 2 0 McPherson, Dugald, Bungultup, Lallan.2 2 0 Melchior & Co., 38, Flinders Lane West . 2 2 0 Michic, A., Temple Court 2 2 0 Miseamblc, John, Little Bourko Street East . 2 2 0 Mitchell & Bonncau, 15, Elizabeth Street.2 2 0 Mitchell, Hon. W. II. F., M.L.C., Hawthorne .2 2 0 Moore, John, Government House 2 2 0 Moore, Samuel, 61, Collins Street East .2 2 0 Moore, Charles, Talangatta Albury 2 2 0 Morton, W. L., " Yeoman” Office 2 2 0 Moubray, Lush & Co., 45, Col¬ lins Street West .. 2 2 0 Mueller, Dr., Botanic Gardens .. 2 2 0 Muir, W. P., 26, Collins Street East .. .. .. ..220 Municipal Council of Brunswick 2 2 0 Murphy, Sir Frauds, M.L.A., Richmond .2 2 0 Murphy, E.J., 12, Eldon Chambers 2 2 0 Muttlobury, J. W., 24, Queen Street .. . * .. -.220 Nankivell, T. J., 7, Elizabeth Street.2 2 0 Napier, Thomas, Mooneo Ponds 2 2 0 Neumayer, Professor, Observatory 2 2 0 ^Nicholson, Hon. W., 13, Flinders Street West . 2 2 0 "Nicholson, Germain, 69, Collins Street East . 2 2 0 Nicholson, W. FL, 77,Queen Street 2 2 0 14 O'Brien, Patrick, Hawthorne . £2 O'Farrell, P. A. C„ 81, Little Collins Street East .. •• 2 Officer, Dr., Hobart Town • 2 O’Grady, Michael, 99, Collins Street West . 2 OgDvy, J. S„ 65, Queen Street . 2 Ogilvy, David, 05, Queen Street 2 Ormond, James, Maldon .. • ■ 2 Paterson, Hay, Palmer, & Co., 33, Flinders Lane West .. ■ - 2 a Paterson, R., . Patmore,Gurney, “Argus"Office 2 Permezel Brothers, 37 , Flinders Lane East . 2 Perry, Mrs., Bishopscourt Phelps, J. J., Melbourne Club .. 2 Phillips, Henry, Tan-one, Belfast 2 Phipps, A. L., Fou Chou.. .2 Ploos Van Amstel (Daniel), 49, Collins Street West .. .. 2 •Power, Hon. Thomas I!., M.L.C., Hawthorne . 2 Pugh, Dr., 131, Collins St, East 2 Rentsch, S., 63, Flinders St. East 2 Richardson, J . 2 Ritchie, D., Bordcarra, Belfast .. 2 Ritchie, J., Bordcarra, Belfast .. 2 Ritchie, John, Fiery Creek Streatham .. • ■ • ■ 2 Robertson, O. W., Warrock, Cas¬ te rton .. 2 Robertson, William, Woolong, Gisborne . 2 Robinson, L-, 37, Collins St. East 2 Rolfe, Hon. G„ M.L.C., Bourke Street .. .. - - 1 2 Rose, J. H., Prahran . . • • 2 Rowe, Dr.,. 2 Rusden, A. W. S., Fou Chou .. 2 Russell, Phillip . 2 Russell, Thomas, Warrock, Roke- wood . 2 Ryan & Hammond, 57, Bourke Street West . 2 Schuhkrafft, A. W. ,180, Elizabeth Street . 2 Selwyn, A. R. C., Brighton .. 2 Service, James, & Co., 139, Bourke Street West .. • • • • 2 Sharpe, H. U, 276, Elizabeth St. 2 Shovelbottom, George, 88, Little Collins Street East .. .2 Skilling, A. J. C., 48, Bourke Street West . 2 Smale, A. W., 105, Collins Street West .. .. .. .- 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 4 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 4 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 Smith, James, “ Punch ” Office Smith, J. W., 88, Collins Street East . • . 8mith, J. M., 33, Bourke Street West . Smith, Arthur, Fou Chou Spowers, Allan, “ Argus " Office Sprigg, W. G., 3, Flinders Lano East . Steaveneon, John, William St. Stead Brothers, 4.3, Swanston Street . Stevenson. Mrs. George, Studley Park . Stewart, James, Bonalla .. Stewart. A., Fou Chou .. Struth, A., Woodford Sutherland, Hon. J., M.L.C., St. Hilda . Taylor, William, Overnewton, Keilor .. Thompson, Hon. R., M.L.C., 194, Collins 8trcot East Thomas, Dr. V.J., Botirke Street Topp, Samuel, (1, Elizabeth Street Toynbee, Samuel, Chancery Lane Tracy, Dr., 139, Brunswick Street Turner, George, Prahran Street, South Yarra. Turnbull, R. & P., William Street Vaughan, Hon. Charles, 00, Queen Street . Walker, J. M., St. Arnauds Walker, Robert, 25, Swanston Street . Wallter, Sloane, & Co., 115, Col¬ lins Street West *, ., Ware, Joseph, Munyali, Caraiuut Watts, W., 70, Little Collins Street East . Watts, H. E., “Argus "Office .. Waymouth, B., South Yarra . . Were, J. B. ( 48, Collins St. West Whitmore, .Major, Auckland, N.Z. Wild, Edward, 66, Queen Street Williams, William, 178, Collins Street East . Wilshin & Leighton, 7, Market Street. •Wilson, Edward, “ Ai-gus ” Office Wise, Mr. Justice, Supremo Court, Sydney. Woodward, R. H., Belfast Wragge, George, 134, Collins Street East . Wyatt, Alfred, Temple Court .. Young, William, Belfast .. £2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 4 2 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2-2 0 2 2 0 15 DONATIONS. Ah Shong, Beaufort . . .. £0 5 0 Katzenstein, Joseph, 18, Elizabeth Ah Waugh, Beaufort .. *. 0 6 0 Street .... £\ 1 0 Anderson, Col., Melbourne Club 5 6 0 Knox, Edward, Sydney 5 5 0 Apun, P. 0., St. Arnauds.. 1 0 0 Lcveson k Smythers, 47, Elizabeth Bank of Victoria, gentlemen in .. 3 12 0 Street . 0 10 0 Barker, A., Navarre 1 0 6 Little, Dugald, 5, Queen Street .. 1 1 0 Bigwood, Frederick, Queen Street 1 1 0 Liverpool & London Insurance Bliss, Thomas, St. Arnauds 0 5 0 Company, Melbourne.. 3 3 0 Bowler, S. G., Talangutto, Albury 1 1 0 Mason & Firth, Flinders Lane Bowler, H. T„ Talangutta, Albury 1 1 0 West . 1 1 0 Brown & Ileid, 10, Collins Street McKellar, Wm. Lina, Benaila 5 0 0 East . 1 0 0 McLaurin, Jas., Talangatta, Albury 1 1 0 Brooks, Henry, Elizabeth Street.. 1 1 0 McLean, Neil, 11 , Swanston Street 0 10 0 Castella, Paul de, Yering,.. 5 5 0 Minohin, C. H., Beaufort .. 0 5 0 Chidloy, John James, 31, Collins Moore, J. H., 82, Collius Street Street West.. 1 0 0 West 1 0 0 Chiltin, G., Navarre 1 0 0 Municipal Council of Ballarat East 10 0 0 Clarke & Bedford, 0, Collins Street „ Brunswick .. 5 5 0 East .. 0 10 0 „ Sandridge .. 5 0 0 Cochrane, W. H., Talangatta, „ Williamstown 5 0 0 Albury .* .. 1 1 0 New, Rev. Isaac, Barkly Terrace.. 1 1 0 Culley, Benjamin, Talbot 0 10 C O’Neill, John, St. Arnauds 0 10 0 Daley, John, Spring Street 1 1 0 Parkinson, George, St. Arnauds . . 0 10 0 Dods, Robert, 112, Collins Street Paton, A., Talangatta, Albury .. 1 1 0 West 0 10 0 Provident Institute, Queen Street 5 5 0 Eddy, Wm., 158, Elizabeth Street 0 10 0 Reynolds & English, Collins Street 1 0 0 Freyer, G. K., Wllliamstown 1 1 0 Robinson, E. L., 39, Flinders Gill, James, 13, Little Collins Lane East 1 0 0 Street West 4 0 0 Robertson, George, 69, Elizabeth Goodhugh, Wm., it Co., Flinders Street . 1 1 0 Lane East 1 1 0 Ross, C. 8., 100, Collins Street Gonlon & Gotch, 85, Collins Street West 0 10 6 West . 1 0 0 Rothwell, S. S., St. Arnauds 1 0 0 Hancock & Buffett, 35, Queen-st. 1 1 0 Stevenson L. & Sons, Flinders Lane Hardy, Wilson, Western Market.. 0 10 6 East 5 5 0 Harridge, Mrs. C. W., Chusan „ Gentlemen in employ of 2 2 0 Hotel, Sandridge 1 0 0 Scurfield, W. D., 245, Elizabeth Harvoy, Richard, Little Collins Street . 1 1 0 8treet .. .. .. 1 0 0 Simsln, John, Beaufort 1 0 0 Hawthorne, Boilby, 69, William Sleight, John, 71, Collins St. East 1 0 0 Street . 1 1 0 Smith, Lieut A. J., Castloraaine 1 1 0 Helsham, J. J., St. Arnauds 1 0 0 Stuart, John, Oriental Rink 1 0 0 Holt, Ilonble. Thomas, Sydney .. 5. 5 0 Swire Brothers, 48, William Street 1 1 0 Horden, Mrs. Anthony, 80, Russell Tieman, Peter, Seymour .. 1 0 Street 1 1 0 Watson k Sons, Swauston Street 1 1 0 Here, John, Talangatta .. 1 1 0 Wharton, George, 24, Collins Street Jackson, Henry, Sandhurst ' .. 3 3 0 West .. • • i 1 0 Johnson, 0. & j., Western Market 0 10 0 Williams, William, 178, Collins Johnson, William, st. Arnauds .. 0 6 0 Street East . 3 3 0 Jones, C. k W.. St. Arnauds .. 1 0 0 Young, George, St. Arnauds 0 0 16 LIST OF PERSONS WHO HAVE EITHER BY DONATIONS OF ANIMALS, OR BY SERVICES RENDERED, AIDED THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY OF VICTORIA IN CARRYING OUT ITS OBJECTS. Aberleis & Co., Batavia Adams it Co., Sourabaya. Anderson, Colonel, South Yarra. Anderson, Mrs. R. S., Kew. Anderson, Sharp and Wright, Carn.il Timber Yard. Anderson and Marshall, King-street. Anderson, Saxon & Co., Cape Town. Baines, Jas., & Co., Liverpool. Bank of Victoria, Melbourne. Barclay, — Avoca. Barkly, Sir Henry, Toorak. Barrett & Co., Manilla. Bawn, Captain, “True Briton.” Bayloy, Captain, Point do Gallo. Pencraft George, Flinders Lane West. Bonn, John, Flinders Lane West. Bennett, — Pentridge. Beveridge, — Kulkyne. Bickncll, F., Port Fairy. Binney, & Co., Madras. Binney, Scott it Co., Colombo. Birley & Co., Fou Chou. Blythe, Edward, Calcutta. Boa die, .1. F., Darebin Creek. Roadie, II. R., Darebin Cieek. Bons, — Diggers' Rest. Boutakoil, Captain, H.U.M.S., "Svetlana.” Bragge, Captain, " Empress of the Seas.” Brandon, W., Sandridge. Brewster, G., Sandridge. Bright Brothers it Co., Flindora Lane. Bromby, Dr., Church of England Grammar School. Brooke, Honourable J. H., Heidelberg. Brookes, J. W., Sydney. Brown George, Bourko Street. Brown, Chas., South Yarra. Brown, John, Como. Buchanan, Isaac, Gipps Land. Bntehart, Jos., Bourke Street West. Butler, H. L., Calcutta. Butler, Dr., Hobart Town. Cameron, C., Dandenong. Campbell, D. 8., Richmond. Campbell, C. S., & Co., Port St. Mary's, Spain. Carson, John, Collins Street East. Carole, Madame, Domain Road, South Yarra Chambers, Enoch, Prahran. Cbarleton, Captain, “ Lincolnshire.” Chard, W., Leicester Street, North Mel¬ bourne. Child, — Stoiglitz. Clarke, Captain, “ Lightning.” Clarke, John, Brighton. Cluttcn, — Warm am bool. Cole, R., Merri Crock. Colvin, Cowrie & Co., Calcutta. Connor, David, Gipps land Road. Cook, Thos., Wynynrd Square, Sydney. Cooper, Austin, * Result.” Coppin, Honourable George, Crcmorne. Cowdero.v, B., Collins Street Hast Cropper, W. H., Collins Street East. Crfiymel, Captain, " Brerlorode.” Cunningharne, Miss, Sale, Gipps Land. Curcler & Adet, Bourdeaux. Dalgcty & Co., Little Collins Street. Day, C. R., Soutli Yarra. Day, — Gnarwarre. Davis, — Caulfield. Dickinson, Rev. R, B Emerald Hill. Dickson, C., Mansfield. Dill, Geo., 11 Argus ” Ofiico. Dixon, — Woodend. Docker, Rev. Joseph, Wangaratta. Doherty, Wm., Baimsdalo, Gipps Land. Dow & Co., Shanghai. Draper, Rev. D. J., St. Hilda. Dunbar, George, Dandenong. Eades, Dr., Collins Street. Edmonds, W., North Melbourne. Edwards, nenry, Victoria Parade. Edward, Captain, " Moravian.” Elliot, Sizar, Brighton. Evans, AV., North Melbourne. Falkner, Beil fi Co., San Francisco. Ferguson, Captain, “Aloe.” Finlay, Richardson Jt Co., Manilla. Finlay, Mrs., Collins Street East. Fircbrace, Mrs. IL T., Hcyfield, Gippa Land. Flantrigan, — Latrobc Street. Fleming, J. AV., Plenty. Flood, James, Hotham. 17 Francis, G. W., Botanic Gardens, Adelaide. Fumoll, S. 8., Belfast. Fussed, R. S. R., Fou Chou. Fussoll & Co., Fou Chou. Fvfe, W. S., Moaina. Gilrtw, Win., & Co., Valparaiso. Gibbs, Bright & Co., Liverpool. Oibbs, R. a, Ballarat. Gill, Joseph, Malmesbury. Gillaiuiers, Arbuthnot & Co., Calcutta. Godfrey, Captain, “ Coiienhagen.” Green, Messrs., Blackwall. Grice, Summer & Co., Flinders Lane West. Grice, Wm., & Co., East India Chambers, London. Orote, A., Calcutta. Gunn, Robert, Toorak. Hancock, A. & B., Colac. Uardinadd, — Port Albert. Hardy, — Richmond. Harrison, — Micliaol. Hart, Isaac, Collins Street. Harvey, John, Woodend. Hcadlem, .1. S., Upper Moira. Henty, Jas., & Co., Little Collins Street. Heppiugstall, W., Carlton. Hitchcock, G., Kensington. Hoarc, Muller & Co., Calcutta. Hodges, W. J., Hotliam. Holt, — Boonindara. Holmes, — Malmesbury. Holmes, White & Co., William Street. Houldor Brothers, London. Hurman, — Melbourne. Howard, Rev. W. C., Beech worth. Hybert, Capaiu, “ Lord Raglan.” Jackson, Mrs., 8t. Hilda. James, W., Port Albert. Jardine, Skinner & Co., Calcutta. Jardine, Mathcaon & Co., Hong Kong. Jeremy, John, Spencer Street Station. Johnstone, Captain, D. H., “ Lightning.” Jones, Lloyd, Avenel. Joshua Brothers, William Street. Judd, Job, Richmond. Kay, J. a., Russell street. Kinninmont, Rev. A. D. r Carlton. Eaukeator, — Richmond. Bayard, C. P., Colombo, Ceylon. Bayard, E. L., Cape of Good Hope. Lloyd, — Stratford, Gipps Land Lord, S. P., Collins Street West. Lowrie Captain, “ Young Australian.” Lyall, W., Frogmore. Lynch, A., Hawthorne. Macauley, Wm., Singapore. Macdonald, — Yallock. Mackinnon, L., Bittacy House, Middlesex. Mailler, Lord, and Querean, New York. Madlanchan, — Tasmania. Marshall, Captain I). S., “ A. II. Badger. * Mason, J., Belfast. McDonald, Captain A., “Victor Em¬ manuel. ” McEwan, James, Elizabeth Street. McGillvray, Dr., Willlamstoivn. McGowan, Samuel, Telegraph Office. McIIaffie, John, Phillip Island. McIIaffie, Mrs., Phillip Island. McIntyre, — Keilor. McKerlie, Captain, “Anglesey.” Meade, R. G., Longwood. Messitcr, — Richmond. Michaelis, Boyd & Co., Elizabeth Street. Milne, W., Collins Street West. Money Wigraiu & Sons, Blackwall. Morgan, W., Arundel Farm, Keilor. Mortimer, H. W., Richmond. Nankivull, T. J., 3 Elizabeth Street. Norton, Thomas, Flinders Street West. Oates, G„ Brighton. Oliver, George, New Plymouth, New Zealand. Outhwaite, — London. Palmer, C., Prahran. Parkers, — Warrnambool. Parker, J., Balaclava. Peacock & Co., Gibraltar. Peninsular and Oriental S.N. Company. Perrin, W., Richmond. Phelps, R. V., Punolly. Plummer, E., Brunswick. Pole, Captain, S.S. “ Queen.” Potter, Norwood, Moama. Price, Samuel, & Co., San Francisco. Price, Samuel, & Co., Vancouver’s Island. Price, Captain, “ Donald McKay.” Purvis, J., and Son, Singapore. Remington & Co., Bombay, Ileynell, Captain, E. A., “Yorkshire." Richardson, Johnston & Co., Mauritius. Riddel], J. C., Riddell’s Creek. Ridgers, Captain, Sussex. Robertson, J. M., & Co., Colombo. Robertson, Wm. Wooling, near Gisborne. Roebuck, Q. W., Port Fairy. Rostron, J. R., Navarro. Ruttcnford, H. E. & Co., Cape Town. Saint, A. G., Russell Street. Scott, It., Flagstaff Hill. Scott & Co., Mauritius. Sharp, J., Flinders Lane East. Sherwin, George, Upper Plenty. Sinclair, Hamilton & Co., St. Helen’s Place, London. Singleton, E., QueensclifTe. B 18 Smith, Captain, “M. A. Wilson.” Smith, Rev. James, C&stlemaine. Smith, H. S., Queen Street. Sporkes, John, Flinders Stroct East. Spowers, Allan, “ Argus ” Office. Sprigg, W. G., Flinders Lane East. Stair, Rev. J. B., Broadmeadows. Stewart, William, North Melbourne. Steer, Wm., Camberwell. Stevens, Samuel, Boston, U.S. Strand & Co., Colombo. Swans, Captain, “ Postboy.” Swiney, James, Cleveland Road, Islington, London. Sj-me & Co., Singapore. Teeson, David, Moonce Ponds. Terry, R. D. Thornton, George, Emerald Hill. Tillson, Hermann & Co., Manilla. Tiinins, Captain O, F., Government House. Tomldn, J. R., Elizabeth Street. Truly, A., Richmond. Turner, John, South Yarra. Turner & Co., Hong Kong. Walker, P. N., Emerald Hill. Walker, Borrowdaile & Co., Hong Kong Wallace & Co., Bombay. Watson, R. T., Swanston Street. Watson, J. Williamstown. Webster, — Korong. White, W. P. & Co., Elizabeth Street. Wiche & Co., Mauritius. Wiggins, — Hothara. Willan, R., Brighton. ■Willie, A,, Mrs. Wilson, Edward, “ Argus Office.” Wilson, Charles, Walmcr, Horsham. Wilson, Samuel, lJawksbum House, South Yarra. Wrixon, Mr. A. N., Hawthorne. Wylie, — llcathcote. Wj-ttenhoven, Captain. * THE RULES AND OBJECTS OP THE ^rrlintatisatwm ^rrridjr of Wutoxm. 1. The objects of the Society sliall be the introduction, o! acclimatisation, and domestication of all innoxious animals, birds, fishes, insects, and vegetables, whether useful or orna¬ mental ; — the perfection, propagation, and hybridisation of races newly introduced or already domesticated ; — the spread of indigenous animals, &c., from parts of the colonies where they are already known, to other localities where they are not known ; — tho procuring, whether by purchase, gift, or exchange, of animals, &c., from Great Britain, the British colonies, and foreign countries ; — the transmission of animals, he., from the colony to England and foreign parts, in exchange for others sent thence to the Society the holding of periodical meet¬ ings, and tho publication of reports and transactions, for the purpose of spreading knowledge of acclimatisation, and inquiry into the causes of success or failure ; — the interchange of reports, he., with kindred associations in other parts of the world, with the view, by correspondence, and mutual good offices, of giving the widest possible scope to the project of acclimatisation the conferring rewards, honorary or intrin¬ sically valuable, upon seafaring men, passengers from distant countries, and others who may render valuable services to the cause of acclimatisation. 2. A Subscriber of two guineas or upwards annually shall Membership be a Member of tho Society; and contributors, within one year, of ten guineas or upwards shall be Life Mcmbeis of the Society ; and any person who may render special services to the Society, by contribution of stock or otherwise, shall be 20 Subscrip¬ tions. Property t vestiu Trustees. Executive Officers. Council. Vacancy in Council, how sup¬ plied eligible for life membership, aud may be elected as such by the Council, or by any annual general meeting. 3. The annual subscription shall be payable on the first day of July in each year, and may be received by any Member of the Council, or the Collector, either of whom on receiving the same shall cause the person so subscribing to be enrolled as a member accordingly. 4. All the property of the Society, of what nature and kind soever, shall vest in Trustees to be appointed by the Council, for the use, purposes, and benefit of the Society. 5. The Society shall be governed by a Council of eighteen members, to include a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and an Hon. Secretary, to be elected by ballot at the first general meeting of the Society, three of whom (to be deter¬ mined voluntarily or by lot amongst themselves) shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election. Provided that ny sum of money bo voted to the Society by Act of Parlia¬ ment, or Trusts conferred upon the Conncil by the Government, then it shall be lawful for the Chief Secretary for the time being to appoint, if he consider it expedient, any number of gentlemen, not exceeding three, to act :is Members of the Council, and they shall have all the privileges as if otherwise duly elected ; and further, to appoint one Co-Trustee, to act in conjunction with the Trustees for the time being of the Society. And provided farther, that it the Melbourne Corpor¬ ation, or any of the adjacent municipalities, shall decide upon expending any sum of money exceeding £100 in any one year, upon the grounds or for the objects of the Society, the Mayor of Melbourne or Chairman of such municipality shall be for such year a Member of the Council, and be at liberty to act in every respect as an ordinary member. 6. In case of a vacancy occurring by the death, resignation, or non-atteudence of any Member of Council for the period of two months, the remaining Members may appoint another Member of the Society to be a Member of the Council in the place and stead of the deceased, or resigned, or absenting Mem¬ ber, and such new Member may act until the next annual general meeting. Provided that such vacancy shall not be supplied by the Council except after seven days' notice given 21 of ihe new member to be proposed, and unless in the presence of at least seven Members of the Council. 7. The Society shall hold periodical meetings, at which Qmrtcriy papers and other communications relating to the objects of otuielo- the Society, aud reports prepared by the Council, shall be clet> ' received, and such discussions shall be encouraged as may be of value in propagating a knowledge of acclimatisation amongst Members and the public. And such business generally shall be disposed of as may be brought under consideration by the Council or by any Member who shall have given seven days’ previous notice thereof to the honorary secretary, or as a majority of two-thirds of the Members present shall see fit to entertain and consider ; and each Member shall have the pri¬ vilege of introducing two friends at such meetings. 8. The Council shall meet at least once a month, and three Meetings of Council. Members, of whom the President, Vice-President, Trea¬ surer, or Honorary Secretary shall be one, shall form a quorum, and be capable of transacting the business of the Council, subject to such limitations as may be imposed by any by-law of the Council, or rule, or resolution of the Society, which may be hereafter made. 9. The Council shall have the sole management of the affairs of the Society, and of the income and property thereof, Council, for the uses, purposes, and benefit of the Society ; and shall have the sole and exclusive right of appointing an Honorary Secretary, and Honorary Treasurer from amongst themselves or the other members of the Society, and also of appointing paid servants, as a manager or assistant-secretary, collector, and such other officers, clerks, and labourers, and at such salaries as they may deem necessary, and of removing them if they shall think fit, and shall prescribe their respective duties. And such Council shall have power to consider and determine all matters, either directly or indirectly affecting the interests of the Society, and if they shall think fit to do so, shall bring the same under the notice of the Members of the Society, at any general or special meeting : and to make such bye-laws as they may deem necessary for the efficient management of the affairs and the promotion of the objects of the Society, and for the conduct of the business of the Council, provided the 22 I same are not repugnant to these rules ; to appoint one or more sub-committees, for any purpose contemplated by these rules ; and generally to perform such acts as may be requisite to carry out the objects of the Society, which by-laws are to be sub¬ ject to ratification, emendation, or rejection, by the next annual or special general meeting of the Society. And it shall be the duty of the Council to exercise the foregoing powers as occa¬ sion shall require, and to furnish reports of the proceeedings at every periodical and annual meeting of the Society. 10. The Society shall have power to affiliate or associate itself with other Societies of kindred objects, and to found Branch Societies if desirable; and the Council shall have power to carry out any arrangements for this pupose, and to furnish any monthly or other reports. Branch So¬ cieties, &c. Minutes of ] ]. Minutes shall be made, in books kept for the purpose, Proceed- ings. of all the proceedings at the general and special meetings of the Members, and minutes shall also be made of the proceed¬ ings of the Council at their general and special meetings, and of the names of members attending the same, aud such minutes shall be open to inspection by any Member of the Society at all reasonable times. Moneys to be 12. All subscriptions and other moneys payable to the Treasurer. Society shall be paid to the Treasurer, who shall forthwith place the same in a bank, to be named by the Council, to the credit of the Society ; and no sum shall be paid on account of the Society until the same shall have been ordered by the Council, and such order be duly entered in the book of the proceedings of the Couucil; and all cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer as such, and be countersigned by the Honorary Secretary, or’by some other Member of Council delegated by the Council to act as such. Annual 13 An annual meeting shall be held on the second Wed- Meeting. . . i nesday in November of each year, or, if a holiday, then upon the next open day following, and the Council shall report their procedings during the past year, and shall produce their accounts, duly audited, for publication if deemed desirable ; aud the meeting shall elect new Members of Council to supply the vacancies therein. Aud notices of motion must be furnished to the Honorary Secretary, or Assistant Secretary, one day 23 previous to tlie holding of such meeting, or such motion may be rejected by the Chairman. 14. All privileges of membership shall cease in case any member shall be three months in arrear, subject, however, to his restoration on the payment of such subscription as afore¬ said, accompanied by satisfactory explanation. 15. Upon receiving a requisition in writing, signed by Special Mtvt- twelve or more Members of the Society, or upon a resolution Members, of the Council, the Honorary Secretary shall convene a special meeting of the Members, to be held within fifteen days of the receipt by him of such requisition and resolution. Provided always that such requisition or resolution, and the notices thereunder convening the meeting, shall specify the subject to be considered at such meeting, and that subject only shall be discussed at such meeting. 16. The Council or any general meeting of the Society may H °3£ ra . admit, as Honorary Members, such ladies or gentlemen as may have distinguished themselves in connection with the objects of the Society, or in objects of a kindred nature. 17. It shall be lawful for any annual or special meeting of p ™ er R ^' the Society to vary, alter, or amend the rules ; or to substitute another for any of the same ; or to make any new rule which may be considered desirable ; if and after a notice specifying the nature of such alteration, variation, amendment, substitu¬ tion, or new rule, shall have been given to the Honorary Secretary fifteen days before the holding of such meeting. And such alteration, variation, amendment, substitution, or new rule, shall be valid if carried by a majority of uot less than two-thirds of the members present at such meeting. ■ft '•* . •' - 1 * • :r * - W? _ fsilis ■ f ■ - , • jiffrt ^ - - ■ . •• . ' . PROCEEDINGS AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, Held November 24 th, 1862. The annual public meeting of the Acclimatisation Society of Vic¬ toria, was held on Monday evening, at the Mechanics’ Institute. About one hundred and fifty ladies and gentlemen were present. On the plat¬ form were His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, K.C.B., who presided ; Major-General Sir T. S. Pratt, K.C.B., Professor M'Coy, Dr. Thomas Black, Mr. C. J. Griffith, and Mr. T. J. Sumner. A large extent of tabling and staging was occupied by zoological specimens illustrative of Acclimatisation from the National Museum. His Excellency having apologised for the absence, owing to another engagement, of the Bishop of Melbourne, addressed the meeting as follows : — Although, ladies and gentlemen, I cannot but feel that, in the abseuce from the colony of Mr. Edward Wilson, the founder of the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria, and the indefati¬ gable promoter of its interests, the most proper person to preside at this annual meeting would have been the almost equally indefatigable acting president, Dr. Thomas Black, I could not refuse to accept the invitation of the council to take the chair to-night, anticipating, how¬ ler, I must confess, that I should have little more to do than to sit m it while listening to the interesting proceedings which are set down m the programme, and perhaps to receive a very unmerited vote of thanks at the close of the meeting. But when I found myself put down in the programme, as it originally appeared, for an inaugural address, I confess I was a little taken aback, because, even if compe¬ tent without a great deal of previous cramming to deliver such an address, I could not but see that I should be placed as it were be¬ tween two fires on an occasion like this — that if I were to attempt to tou^ on the subject of acclimatisation generally, I should be trenching upon the province which will be so much more ably occu¬ pied to-njght by Professor M'Coy; while, on the other hand, if I were to confine my remarks to the progress actually made by the Society during the past year, I might merely be anticipating the con¬ tents of the report which is about to bo read to you. I think you will therefore agree with me, that I wisely came to the conclusion 26 that, in attempting to address you at all, I should confine myself to a few preliminary observations on some of the points which have occur¬ red to me in attending the meetings of the council, and which have also been pressed upon my miud by comments that I have heard out of doors. In the first place, I would say, that I dd not think the public as yet quite correctly understand what an Acclimatisation Society is. In saying this, I do not refer so much to the proper defi¬ nition of the word—as to whether animals and plants can, in fact, adapt themselves to climates unsuited to them, or as to whether those animals and plants that are introduced into countries where they have not existed before, but where the climate is perfectly suited to them, can be said to be acclimatised ; or whether the word should not be “ acclimated,” or “ naturalised.” These are matters which I leave to the learned. Perhaps we shall hear something about them from Professor M‘Coy. All that I meant to say is, that I don’t think it is generally borne in mind by the public, or even by the press, that the design of this Society is to stock the country with useful animals rather than to form a Zoological Garden.— (Hear, hear.) People visit the Royal Park, and come away, if not complaining, at any rate hinting that they have been rather disap¬ pointed, at the want of variety among the collection they have found there—that there are great deficiencies among the carnivora —that even the Australian animals are not properly represented, as they ought to be in an Australian colony ; forgetful all the while that we do not aim at setting up a wild beast show, or even at elucidating the natural history of the Australian continent. No doubt a Zoolo¬ gical Garden is a very excellent thing in its way. It is exceedingly in¬ teresting to the rising generation, and very instructive to the student of natural history. The Acclimatisation Society will be happy, by- and-by, to add that to its other attractions. But a Zoological Garden is necessarily a very expensive affair. Lions and tigers, unfortunately, eat very voraciously. (Laughter.) And you require either a large Government subsidy or a very high price for admission to meet the expenses of such an institution, especially in this country. Now as you are all aware, the admission at the Royal Park is free, and the Society finds that the fund derived from subscriptions and from Par¬ liament is altogether inadequate to carry out even its legitimate objects. These objects, 1 need hardly tell you, are to introduce animals not hurtful to man, but, on the contrary, those that are use¬ ful and agreeable to him. Of course even that definition admits a wide category of animals. It is difficult to draw the line as to what is useful, and still more as to what is agreeable to man ; and it often 27 happens, that different people take different views on this point. In fact, the members of the council do not always agree among them¬ selves on the subject. I recollect that we happened to possess at one time a considerable number of monkeys, and that they were found exceedingly mischievous, troublesome to look after, and alto¬ gether very expensive. The council almost unanimously came to the conclusion that it would be much better to get rid of the monkeys, but our friend Mr. Wilson wrote out to us to the effect that he was a thorough acclimatises and that he went in for the acclimatisation o monkeys for the amusement of the wayfarer whom their gambols would delight as he lay under some gum-tree in the forest on a sultry day. And really when I call to mind my South American reminis¬ cences—when 1 remember the pretty little sahiwinM which used to frolic in the trees near my study window—and when I recollect how my time was beguiled during the boating excursions on the noble rivers of Guiana by the tricks of the large baboons who clambered from tree to tree, and hurled at a stranger whatever they could catch as a punishment for intruding on their solitude—I think Mr. Wilson • was in that respect right, and I am inclined to concur with him that it is desirable to acclimatise the monkey tribe, if it can be done. (Hear, hear.) But there are other animals with respect to which there can be no difference of opinion, and I admit it was with satis¬ faction that I read in the newspapers recently, that a boa-constrictor which formed a portion of a valuable consignment from the Cape of Good Hope, perished on board ; for I don’t know what we should have done with it, or who would have accepted it from us, unless Professor M'Coy would have taken it as a specimen for his museum. (Laughter.) At the same time it must be borne in mind, that the Society is happy to receive animals of all sorts, both Australian and from other parts of the world, as presents, and means of exchange for carrying out the objects it has in view. (Hear, hear.) Another point on which I wish to touch is the mortality among animals on their voyage to or from the colony, and the necessity of employing proper persons to take charge of them on board ship. The neglect of this precaution has led to the useless expenditure of a great deal of money, and it has also occasioned a great deal of disappointment from time to time. The usual course with private individuals—and even in the first instance with societies _who have animals to send is, to take them down to the ship at the last moment, and put them under the care of the steward, the cook, or the butcher, without knowing anything about his disposition or character, or the amount of other duties which he may have to 28 attend to. Everything goes well as long as the weather is fine. But a storm arises, every man is called to his proper post, and there is sufficient to occupy liis attention. In the meantime the dens and cages are washed by every sea; the animals tumble over each other, and are at their wit’s end ; and when the gale is over, it is found that half of them are maimed or dead. And so the experiment fails, and in consequence everybody is discouraged. It is really in this way that we have been faying for years past to introduce various animals and birds which would bo useful, and veiy few of them can be said to be acclimatised. Now one of the functions of the Ac¬ climatisation Society is to avoid these mistakes — to collect the ex¬ perience of past failures, so as to ascertain their causes, and provide against them for the future—to take care that shipments are made in sufficient quantities to give a fair chance tqgthe experiment, and that proper care and attendance for the animals are provided on board ; and 1 am sure the society will be always ready to undertake these duties for any private individuals who may wish to be at the expense of providing and introducing animals or birds for themselves. There is another function of the Society which I look upon as even • more important. That is, to investigate the nature of the climate and soil, and the natural conditions with respect to wood and water, of the different districts of the country, with the view especially to ascertain in which of them the different kinds of birds and animals, when once landed in the colony, are likely to succeed; and also to see which of the residents in those districts are most likely to give attention and assistance in their preservation. No doubt a great deal of money is lost for want of these precautions. Animals are introduced and sent off, perhaps to the very worst places in the whole colony for them to be really naturalised and domesticated in. Even with respect, to the camels purchased by the Victorian Go¬ vernment we found that when near the sea-side, and in the cold bleak aspect of the Royal Park, they did not do at all well—they were subject to various diseases, and they put us to enormous expense for hay and other artificial food to maintain them. But when, through the kindness of Mr. Samuel Wilson, they were placed in an enclosed paddock in the Wimmera district, it was found that they were able to support themselves on the bushes there, and that they at once improved in health and condition. (Hear, hear.) Now I think I have shown that there is a very wide field for the exertions of such a body as the Acclimatisation Society, and that there is plenty of work before us. The salmon has yet to reach the shores of any of the Australian colonies in a live state. Although the experiments hitherto 29 have been failures, I believe those who are most competent to judge, among the council of the Acclimatisation Society, are of opinion that those failures, so far from being such as to deter us from further attempts, are such as to show that it is quite possible to guard against accident if the experiment be persevered in. Even suppose we do not succeed finally in introducing the salmon from Europe, there are four or five species of salmon to be procured from California or British Columbia, one of which, at least, is said to be equal in delicacy of flavour and in other respects to the European fish. And if we fail here, we shall have a still further resource in the suggestion made by one of the most distinguished of Australian naturalists—Dr. Bennett — of introducing ova dry, packed in moss. (Hear, hear.) Then, again, there is another animal of very great importance—the alpaca_which reuuins to be introduced in numbers sufficient for commercial purposes. There is likewise the Cashmere goat, the hair of which would be an invaluable article of export, and which would flourish well among the higher plateaux of the Australian Alps. I repeat that there is plenty of work before us, if wo can but procure, the necessary funds from the liberality of the public and of Parlia¬ ment. I do not entertain the slightest doubt that this will be the case. Stimulated by the zeal and enterprize of Mr. Edward Wilson, this colony was the first to found an acclimatisation society. Its example has been followed by all the other colonies in the Australian group ; lectures have been delivered in several of them ; a general public interest has been excited in the subject, means of mutual co¬ operation between the various societies have been arranged ; and it really would be suicidal policy now, after all this organization has been effected, at so much cost of trouble and time, to let it fall to the ground without fully accomplishing all the objects we have in view—without having our wharves laden, not merely with wool- packs but with bales of fleeces of the alpaca, and the hair of the shawl goat—without having our rivers teeming with all sorts of fish, our forests abounding with every variety of game, and our tables groaning with all the delicacies which can be procured in the markets of London and Paris. (Applause.) After the reading of the Report (see page 5) by Mr. 1'. J. Sumner, His Excellency the Chairman called upon Professor M‘Coy to deliver his address. (See p. 33.) At the conclusion of which the Hon. T. T. A’Beckett, M.L.C., proposed the presentation of the thanks of the Society to Professor M‘Coy, for his able address ; and at the same time called the atten¬ tion of the Council to the fact that the English song-birds which had 30 been set free in some parts of the Colony were much persecuted by the native hawks, whose extirpation would therefore be an advantage. The Mayor of Melbourne seconded the motion ; and expressed the hope that, jus the success of the Society’s operations would be the means of conferring a vast amount of good upon the Colony, the public generally would support it liberally. The motion was carried by acclamation. Professor M‘Coy offered his acknowledgements, and then proposed a vote of thanks to Sir Henry Barkly for presiding. Dr. Black, in seconding the motion, took the opportunity, on bohalf of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society, of thanking His Excellency for the many useful hints which he had given for their guidance, and for his prompt attention on all occasions to their wants and wishes. . The vote was adopted unanimously; and with the reply of His Excellency the proceedings terminated ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS t DELIVERED AT THE FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY OF VICTORIA, ON ACCLIMATISATION" ITS NATURE AND APPLICABILITY TO VICTORIA. BY FREDERICK M'COY, Professor of Natural Science in the University of Melbourne. * 33 » ADDRESS, &o. Your Excellence, Ladies and Gentlemen, The present Society owes its origin to a meeting of gentlemen, con vened in St. Patrick’s Hall, on the 6th of October, 1857, for the purpose only of forming an Ornithological Society ; having in view chiefly the rearing of the liner kinds of poultry and cage-birds. Our present Acting-president, Dr. Black, having moved that the original plan should be extended, so as to form at once rather a general Zoological Society, his views were carried, and by the liberality of the Government and the Legislature in making a grant of thirty- three acres of land hi Richmond Paddock, opposite the Botanic Gardens, and a grant of £3,000 in money, the Society was at once put in a position to commence work; its objects, as defined at that time, beiug “ to encourage the introduction of foreign animals, and to domesticate the indigenous mammals and birds of the colony.” A large number of subscribers joined, and the private donations, both of money and living animals, were so liberal at this time, that no doubt could be entertained of the interest which the public took in the projected Society. As, however, the piece of laud selected was cold, barren, and swampy, it was subsequently indicated to the Government that the auimals would be more healthily lodged on the high (opposite) side of the river; and it was also shown that to lay out a Zoological Garden, like those in Europe, with beautiful walks and flowers to please the eye, as well as extensive shrubberies to shelter the auimals, would require a great expenditure on earth-works and planting of money furnished rather for expenditure on animals, as well as time, which could not be com¬ manded for the growth of the plants. It was suggested, then, that as all these requirements already existed in the Botanic Gardens, the various cages and enclosures for the birds and quadrupeds, might be placed in such suitable spots as might be found there, with great advantage to the public,—the animals would be healthily sheltered, and visitors could at once inspect them pleasantly. These views were ably seconded by Dr. Muller, who expressed his willingness to receive the birds and beasts into the Botanic Gardens ; and aviaries, fish-ponds, and a few cages, and enclosures for quadrupeds were o u accordingly erected and used with the permission of the Govern¬ ment. A difficulty, however, arose at this point, which was liberally met by the Government. The private subscribers to the Zoological Society contemplated making, like the London Zoological _ Society, an entrance charge to the public visiting their Gardens, but ^ as this could not be done when the zoological collections were distri¬ buted through the Public Botanic Gardens, the Government decided to carry out the objects of the Zoological Society entirely at the public expense, doing without the private subscriptions, and letting the public have freely the benefits of the undertaking. The Govern¬ ment nominating a certain number of Members of the Board of Management to act with a proportionate number representing the original Zoological Society, and Dr. Muller consenting to act as Secretary, was the provision made for carrying on the management. This arrangement was found to act well, as far as the smaller and more ornamental creatures were concerned, and even the flocks of llamas, alpacas, and other bulky domesticated animals did well. I he aspect, was, however, more that of a Zoological, than of an Acclimatisation Society’s collection, and there was obviously no space for the extensive and secluded breeding-paddocks, stables, shelter huts, Ac., which would be required if the operations of the Zoological Committee were to be directed more to Acclimatisation purposes. The aviaries established in the Botanic Gardens at this time were especially successful, and a very large number and variety, particu¬ larly of song-birds, have been kept and reared there up to the present time; and such large numbers, particularly of English thrushes, blackbirds, larks, starlings, and canaries, have been liberated, that in the immediate neighbourhood at least they are quite acclimatised, and breed regularly without care or food from the attendants. There could be no doubt that those delightful reminders of our early home, would even now have spread from that centre over a great part of the colony ; and the plains, the bush, and the forest would have had their present savage silence, or worse, enlivened by those varied, touching, joyous, strains of Heaven-taught melody, which our earliest records show, have always done good to man—which, in all times have been recognised, among all varieties of nation or taste, as sweetening the poor man’s labours, inspiring the poet with happiest thoughts, and softening and turning from evil even the veriest brute that ever made himself drunk or plotted ill against his neighbour—we should, 1 have no doubt, all have been able ere this to have enjoyed one result of the Society's labours, in hearing so many of those songsters 35 wild about us, were it not for the pestilent counteraction of the younger portion of the British Public, who, in this portion of Her Majesty’s dominions, assert their privileges touching the destruction of such ferae naturae as they meet, with a vigour and determination • which has quite baffled our attempts in the other direction. The ca¬ tapult of the boys, and the fowling-pieces of the young men have been more than a match for the legal engines which some legal mem¬ bers of the Society prepared, and the Legislature passed last Session, for the preservation of imported creatures which we might set loose. This evil of the wanton or thoughtless destruction of the birds and quadrupeds, which we have imported and acclimatised with so much labour, and have successfully established in the wild state, is one of the greatest difficulties which the Acclimatisation Society has to encounter. But I have no doubt it will tend to its speedy ameliora¬ tion to admit that our foul means have failed, and that we fix our hopes now on fairer allies. In fact, my own private opinion is, and it is shared in by the best authorities, that until the Ladies tako this matter in hand, we can never hope to be successful in this part of our task; while we shall succeed if we can enlist on our side their kindly, sensible, good-hearted remonstrances to the children on the cruelty, folly, and selfishness of killing creatures brought here for the delight of so many ; and if we have their more imperative, potent commands on the point given to those who have grown a little older if not wiser ; and if each in her own home would, in this matter, take the trouble to express those sentiments which, when anything good or beautiful is concerned, come so naturally from their hearts, and of which every one of us, who has any good in him at all, must have so often felt the benefit. If the Ladies would do all this for us, the evil would disappear, and they would have the honour of assisting in a most material degree in accomplishing the great objects of the Accli¬ matisation Society ; or rather, perhaps, I should say, the Acclimatisa¬ tion Society of Victoria will have the honour of having been the first to claim and receive the powerful aid of the Ladies in the endeavours to render our adopted country rich in the bounties which nature has lavished on other lands. The return of our President, Mr. Edward \Vllson, from England, a little before the commencement of last year, gave a powerful im¬ petus to the cause of Acclimatisation, in the sense in which this not very well selected term is commonly received, and as the objects were somewhat different from those of the old Zoological Society, by his exertions most of the members of the Zoological Society, and many new subscribers joined to form an Acclimatisation Society, 36 and an application was made to Government for permission to use the Royal Part as a depot, or centre of operations, for the carrying out of the objects of the Society, and also for a sum of money or annual grant to supplement the private subscriptions, to enable the work to be carried on, on a sufficiently large scale to ensure a bene- • ficial result. The Government at once agreed to allow the Society the use of the public park asked for, following the precedent of many of the European Governments, appointing trustees ; and the liberal sum of £5,500 was placed upon the Estimates, with the con¬ dition that the Zoological Committee previously recognised should combine with the Acclimatisation Society, that the two bodies should combine their staffs, and carry out their objects together, sharing and expending as seemed best between them the one vote of the Legislature. This amalgamation was of course at once effected, and the present Acclimatisation Society is the result. The objects of a Zoological Society are so well known that I need not allude to them, but Acclimatisation is so much less understood that I will request your indulgence for a short time to explain briefly the natural laws which have to be combated, or of which advantage has to be taken, in the carrying out of Acclimatisation undertakings, and also to give a preliminary explanation of what Acclimatisation is now understood to mean. Acclimatisation to many persons conveys the idea of changing the powers of enduring certain climates of different animals so as to bring animals of hot countries to live in cold ones, or vice vena, or both in temperate climes. But there is no such limit placed on the labours of the acclimatise! - , nor does he contemplate, great advantages to flow from any such attempt at changing the natures of many animals, nor does he give much trouble to this point ; and, in fact, by far the greater number of important achievements of acclimatisa¬ tion have been rather the bringing together in any one country the various useful or ornamental animals of other countries having the ' same or nearly the same climate and general conditions of surface. To make this point clear, I will draw your attention to the large map before you which I have had prepared of the distribution over the earth of various animals in the wild state. And, first, I would point out that, though the earth on each side of the equator is divided into zones, those of one side nearly representing those corresponding ones of the other in temperature, yet in scarcely any case do you find any native wild animal of the temperate or cold latitudes of the northern hemisphere, inhabiting the corresponding similar latitudes 37 of the southern hemisphere ; and the commonly received notion that all animals in all points of their structure are completely adapted tc the external circumstances of their native habitat, must by no means be supposed to imply that in those parts of the earth "where the temperature is the same that the animals are the same ; the con¬ trary being notoriously the fact in the extreme case I have given of the temperate and cold latitudes of opposite hemispheres. I his leads us to the law of representative forms, or species, of ani¬ mals, which isnotonlyof the highest interest to the philosophical zoolo¬ gist, but has a direct influence on acclimatisation. It is found that those parts of the world having similar conditions of surface and climate, but separated by natural obstacles one from the other, are inhabited commonly not by the same animals, but by “ representa¬ tive species, so like them in size, shape, colour, and habits, that to the common eye they are frequently identical, while the zoologist can easily prove that they are really distinct specific creations, originally placed, probably as a single pair, in the middle of the district they inhabit, and which could not, owing to their specific distinctiveness, have beeu originally derived by breeding from those similar species of other similar parts of the world which they are said to represent. This fact of the existence of “specific centres” of creation, or the probable origin of all the individuals of each distinct species of animal from one first created pair set down in the centre of a dis¬ trict towards the circumference of which the gradually increasing progeny radiated, the species becoming gradually rarer as it ap¬ proached the boundary—this fact explains the appearance on the map before you of the native habitat of each well known useful animal there indicated being circumscribed by one irregular curved line, having but one centre. Now, as there are representative species of plants having similar properties for food in widely separated places of similar climatal and surface characters, as well as representa¬ tive species of animals; we find that all the external circumstances influencing the life or well-being of the different species represent¬ ing any given one, are the same for all, and we accordingly find that the acclimntiser may, as you would theoretically expect, bring with the absolute certainty of success all the representative species of any group into each of the localities. This is the first great principle involved in successful acclimatising, and is practically recognized, although the whole subject is so new that hitherto the natural laws on which success depend have scarcely been indicated. Kepresenta- tive forms are not confined to the simple eases I have mentioned of corresponding latitudesin different hemispheres; butwliile you find the t 38 equatorial zone an almost impassable barrier to the greater number of animals inhabiting the extra-tropical regions, you will observe by looking at the map before you, that any one zone of latitude may be divided by such banders, as seas or lofty mountain ranges, into different districts, which are wholly inaccessible, one from the other, to the animals of each ; and this again produces a multiplicity of “ representative species," each fitted to live in a number of similar localities, which it could only reach by the agency of man, who may as an aceliuiatiser bring all of them into each of the localities to which nature had only given one, with the certainty of their thriving. I have placed on the table a few examples to show the curious imi¬ tations which the representative species are of each other, and many more may be found in the National Museum where the classification I have adopted brings the law of representative forms strongly before the eye. As representatives from similar climates in opposite hemi¬ spheres, I may show you the barn-owl, and the kestril-hawk of Europe, each distinguished from all the other birds of prey of their native country by delicate colouring of most peculiar and unusual hues ; yet, in the corresponding latitudes in Victoria, yon see they are exactly represented by birds of almost exactly the same size, shape, habits, markings, and even the peculiar hues of the unusual delicate buff and white of the owl, and reddish cinnamon colour of the hawk is reproduced. If you cast your eye to the lino on the map marking the region in Africa inhabited by the genus Camelo¬ pardalis, or the giraffes, extending from 20 deg. N. to 30 deg. S. of the equator, you find an interesting case from the proximity of the representative centres ; the cameleopard or Giraffe of Abyssinia, and the portion of the district north of the equator, being a distinct species from that of the corresponding latitudes in South Africa, yet the two are so nearly alike, that they have usually been confounded, and thrive equally under precisely similar circumstances. From the same country I have on the table the sacred crocodile of Egypt, and the rivers north of the line, and a specimen of its “ representa¬ tive ” species from the rivers of the like latitudes in South Africa, which you see almost exactly resembles it in appearance, OB it does in habits. Then of representative specific centres in the same zone we find the magpie of Europe represented almost exactly, as you see by the specimens, by another kind in the same latitudes in North America. If you glance at the region marked on the map as that inhabited by the true genus Camelus or the camels, you find one portion of it cut off from the rest by the lofty chains of the Himalaya mountains and the Taurus. The portion N.E. of 39 those mountains, Thibet, China, and Tartary is inhabited by a camel with two humps ; while all the S.W. portion of the district even in the same latitudes as Persia, Asia Minor, and Algeria, is inhabited by a different “ representative” species with only one hump, but agree¬ ing in most other points of structure, audall the peculiarities of habits ; and so of a vast number of other birds and quadrupeds. (Several other specimens were here shown, and other representative centres pointed out on the maps separated by mountain chains, &c.) I ■only desire by these remarks to exemplify to you one great natural law of which the acclimatiser may obviously without risk of failure take advantage to enrjch with additional animals aiiy tract of country ; and I also desire to prove in this way that many parts of the earth suited for certain animals are not inhabited by them. Of quadrupeds useful for food, by far the largest number and most important to the ac^imatiser, belong to the great group of ruminating animals which chew the cud, and havo a cloven foot. Of these there are no less than fifty different species inhabiting India in latitudes corresponding to those occupied by Australia, including upwards of twenty species of deer, six antelopes, and various species of sheep, goat, ox, &c. Iu corresponding latitudes in both hemi¬ spheres in Africa, you have about fifty other species, here curiously enough the deer being represented by only one species, but the an¬ telopes, or hollow horned ruminants, reaching the marvellous number of thirty-four distinct kinds. In the corresponding latitudes of North America you have at least twelve species of wild ruminants, including six deer, one antelope, one goat, two sheep, and two oxen ; while in the same Australian latitudes in South America we have twelvu totally different spades of ruminants, including three species of llama and alpaca, eight species of deer, and a goat. And now comes the extraordinary fact to which I have been gradually leading your attention, that while Nature has so abundantly furnished forth the natural larder of every other similarly situated country on the faee of the earth with a great variety, and a profusion of individuals of ruminants good for food, not one single creature of the kind inhabits Australia! If Australia had been colonised by any of the lazy nations of the earth, this nakedness of the land would have been indeed an oppressive misfortune, but Englishmen love a good piece of voluntary hard work, and you will all, I am sure, rejoice with me that this great piece of nature’s work has been left to us to do ; that this large continent extending from the 10th to the 40th parallel of latitude, capable of supporting 100 out of the 180 species of known ruminating animals, may by us be filled with such 40 a selection from them as may present the highest points of excel¬ lence, omitting the inferior kinds, and that the opportunity is afforded us of not only making the most valuable and beneficial application of acclimatisation principles possible anywhere, but that from the almost total absence in Australia of beasts of prey which everywhere else keep down the multiplication of such stock, we are visibly promised a blessing on our labour, beyond what could be found elsewhere ; the good we do will live after us, and the work of our hands will thrive and prosper to our hearts’ content, and so become a lasting benefit to the millions of men who will in the fulness of time inhabit this land. I must here notice a strangely erroneous remark which I find repeated in almost every treatise and speech on Acclimatisation, viz., that the necessity for Acclimatisation Societies was shown by the fact, that out of upwards of three hundrtt and forty-one gallinaceous birds, all good for food, man had only succeeded in domesticating eight or ten, and that four of these were domesticated before the Christian era, two thousand years having only added four or five to the number domesticated before ; and a somewhat similar small pro¬ portion of desirable quadrupeds, good for food, had been domesti¬ cated. Now, it is implied in this remark, that all the remainder of the useful birds and beasts might also be domesticated if we tried. But this shows an ignorance or forgetfulness of the very curious fact, that certain birds and beasts of the most highly-uscful kinds for the purposes of man, show a special aptitude for domestication, and a love of human society, obviously implanted in them as part of their origi¬ nal nature, and having no connexion whatever with their physical structure which could indicate that the benefit they conferred on man was mutual; for you find that those most nearly allied, pre¬ sent the utmost difference in this respect. Let us take, for ex¬ ample, two species of the genus Equtis, so nearly alike that if their skin was off, it would take a most skilful naturalist to tell one from the other. I allude to the ass and the zebra. The one, our patient servant, domesticated without an effort from the earliest times, and no longer known in the wild state ; while the other has resisted every attempt for centuries to tame it by force or kindness, with an innate stubborn “ viciousness,” as unthinking persons would call it, which even taught Mr. Barey to respect what I believe to be a na¬ tural law, by showing him that it could and would continue to kick as violently on three legs, as the man-loving horse or ass had ever done on four. Then, again, the wild cat of Europe is so like the tame one, that the chief distinguishing character is that which you 41 see in this specimen — in the wild ope—a peculiar, abrupt, blunt end to the tail, which tapers to a point in the tame one. Yet, the wild¬ cat is as perfectly untamcable as the zebra, while its near ally, the common domestic cat, has been tame in men’s dwellings from the remotest periods noted by inscriptions on the oldest monuments of Egypt, and the wild condition of it is only recognized in a nearly extinct African species. Or, let us look to such gentle and nearly- allied creatures as the hare and the rabbit; the latter, one of the oldest aud most easily-kept pets, breeding in confinement with the utmost readiness ; while no amount of skill aud pains bestowed on the other, has advanced one step in domesticating or inducing it to breed in ordinary confinement; although an animal, eating the same food, and inhabiting the same country as the other. 1 might multi¬ ply these examples, till nearly all our most useful domestic animals would be shown to have been domesticated almost or cpiite from time immemorial without difficulty, while their nearest allies have resisted in many cases the most ingenious efforts persevered in for centuries to tame them. I do not believe, then, that any very large addition is to be expected to our lists of domestic animals, but my principal reason for dwelling on the point is, to disclaim on the part of the Acclimatisation Society any intention of expending labour or money on attempts at domesticating animals, and keeping them in confine¬ ment. Our object, on the contrary, is to select aud import into the country, from various parts of the world, all those useful animals which the nature of the climate and vegetation satisfy us would thrive here, and feed aud tend themselves in the wild or semi-wild state. So that, as the few horses which got loose in South America after the Spanish Conquest, have produced wild droves of countless thousands in the plains of the interior, so our foreign animals, brought to a country equally suited to them, will increase (without domestica¬ tion), and become permanently established with us. And lest it should be asked, what then do we require with such an establishment as that commenced at the ltoyal Park, with its paddocks, stables, shel¬ ters, aud fences, and staff of keepers 1 I will mention, that those are all necessary for the carrying out of our objects, inasmuch, as all beasts and birds require to be tended for a time with great care after landing from a long voyage, until they again recover fully their health, and the use of their limbs or wings ; and that in the ease of many kinds, it is necessary to increase our numbers by breeding before turning any loose, lest by any accident the species be lost. Premising that it is the intention of the Society to devote the whole of its powers each year to the importation of only a few kinds 4 2 or species, in sufficient quantity to enable it to establish the species with good chance of success in the parts of the country suited to each, not to fritter away its means in simultaneous; attempts at introducing small numbers of a multitude of different kinds, I will state briefly what we have done and are doing, in connexion with each of the divisions of the Animal Kingdom, which I will touch upon in ascending systematic order. We have at present in our Gardens or have liberated, the species enumerated in the following general list :— 9 38 2 22 6 6 3 3 1 3 2 1 10 3 80 30 10 1 1 1 4 6 2 4 1 4 10 1 5 16 3 2 1 18 18 24 5 6 4 Animals now in the Royal Park and Botanical Gardens, Melbourne. Camels, besides four¬ teen others absent on exploring expedi¬ tion Llama alpacas Pure Blpaca bucks Fallow deer Ceylon tlk Spotted axis deer Ceylon hog deer Ceylon moose deer Gazelle Brahmin cows St. Bern*ni dogs Dingo Angora goats Indian goats Common goats to breed with Angora Chineso sheep Aden sheep Bengal riieep Broad laded sheep Colonial sheep, singu¬ lar malformation Kangaroos Wallaby, Western Pt. Wallaby, Flinders Is¬ land Native bears Porcupine antcatcr Wombats Opossums White opossum Kangaroo rats Monkeys Mongeese Jackals Screw tail 1 Flyl’ g «quirrel 1 Indian squirrel 4 Sugar squirrels 4 Indian tortoises 2 Murray turtles 4 Indian porcupines 2 Lizard* 8 Curassows 4 Ceylon wild peafowl 7 Golden pheasants 16 Silver pheasants 24 English pheasants 2 Red-legged partridges 6 Cal'furnian quail 5 White swans 6 Canadian geese 15 Chinese geese 1) Capo Barren geese 2 White-fronted geese 19 English Wild ducks 9 Call ducks 5 shell ducks 2 Ayle*bury ducks 2 Mountain ducks 2 Carolina ducks 1 Native wild duck 19 Muscovy ducks 2 Macaws 9 Wonga pigeons 1 Fruit pigeon 6 Bronzo-wing pigeons 8 Fancy pigeons _ 28 Turtle doves ' 12 Green Indian doves 4 Grey Indian doves 8 Emeu* 7 Black swans 2 Albatrosses 4 Malice buns 6 Eagle hawks 3 Small hawks 2 White hawks 2 Sea-gulls 1 Owl 2 Pelicans 46 Fowls 2 Laughingj'ackasses 1 Kingfisher 3 Mi ire porks 13 Magpies ,24 Lowry parrots 3 King parrots 6 White cockatoos 1 Rose cockatoo *2 Printed rails 5 Native quail 2 Satin birds 2 Curlews 3 Blackbirds 3 Thrushes 4 Skylarks 7 Ortolans 1 Bramble finch 2 Chaffinches 10 Goldfinches 12 Canaries 30 Linnets 18 Rockhampton finches 6 Indian finches 6 Java sparrows 3 Eugli9li river bream 3 dace W .. tench 1 loach 21 roach 3 carp 24 Goldfish Canaries Blackbirds Thrushes Pheasants Skylarks Pheasauts BIRDS LIBERATED. At the Botanical Gardess. 1 2 California quail I 2 Partridges. 8 Starlings 6 Skylarks At Phillif Island, Western Port. j 4 Thrushes | 4 Blackbirds. At Sandstone and Churchill Islands, Western Port. j 4 Skylarks | 4 Thrushes. At Yarra Bend. | 4 Skylarks. 6 Thrushes oc **• CO Cl 43 NEAR STDh'EY. 9 Thrushes | 4 Skylarks | 10 Blackbirds. At Mu. CorpiN’a. • 1 pair white swans. At Mr. Firebracb’s, Gipps Land. 1 pair whito swans. QUADRUPEDS AND BIRDS SENT AWAY. 4 Black swans 16 Australian quail 14 Eagle hawks 36 Magpies 4 Rosclla parrots Emeus Black swans Cape Barren Geese Wombats 2 Kangaroos 3 Black swans To London. 6 King parrots 6 Cockatoos 1 Dingo 2 Kangaroo dogs 4 Echidna To Paris. 6 Australian quail 4 Laughing jackasses 2 Bronze wing pigeons. To St. Petersburg. 2 Laughing jackasses 2 Wallabies To Calcutta. 26 Laughing jackasses 40 Shell parrots 36 Lowry pai rots 2 Opossums Some Yarra fish. 4 Goatsuckers 2 Native companions 14 Rockhampton finches 3 Emeus. 2 Black swans 2 Black 8wans 1 Kangaroo 2 Cape Barren geese | | 2 Eagles To Mauritius. 2 Eaglehawks 2 Magpies To Ceylon. 2 Black swans. To Java. 2 Black swans 2 Laughing jackasses Some larks. | 1 Kangaroo. 3 Water hens To Amsterdam. | 6 Australian quail. 2 Black swans 2 Black geese 2 Angora goats 10 Thrushes 1 Male Angora goat 2 Blackbirds To Cologne. 2 Curlews To Copenhagen. 2 Black swans. To Sydney. C Blackbirds 4 Larks To Adelaide. 2 Thrushes 3 English pheasants 2 Watcrhens 4 Blackbirds. 3 Silver pheasants To IIobart Town. 1 Angora goat | 6 Native bears Thrushes To New Zealand. | C Magpie 44 Insecta. The only insects the Society has experimented on, are the English glow-worm, the Arrindy silk-worm, and the Ligurian bee. Of the glow-worm, Mr. Edward Wilson sent out a nuhaber, but they proved unfortunately to have been all of one sex, so that the species has not been continued; but its acclimatisation was proved in an amusing manner by one of the six entrusted to me having been accidently lost, but after an absence of more than two months in the grounds of the University, it was caught again in full glow, walking in at the yard gate. As I knew there were no shelled mollusca for it there to live on, I found it had fed all the while on the garden slugs, on which I fed them afterwards. The common Mulberry silk-worm (Bombyx Mori) has been long introduced, but owing to the delicacy of the mulberry-leaf when exposed to our hot winds, and the lettuce as food for the larvae also presenting difficulties, Dr. Black urged the introduction of the Arrindy silk-worm (Attacus cynthia), which feeds on the leaves of the castor-oil plant—a plant which grows here most luxuriantly as a perfect weed, wherever the seed is cast, and is totally unaffected by any of the changes oi our climate. This insect produces a much larger quan¬ tity of silk, though of a coarser quality, than the common species, and requires no attendance. The silk may be wound off by a newly discovered method, or, as is commonly done in India, may be spun from the cocoon like cotton, forming an almost indestructible silk, suited for ordinary summer clothing for men. A few months ago, a supply of the eggs was received from the Secretary of the Agri- horticultural Society of India, but they had unfortunately been kept too dry, and were all dead before they arrived. I have, however, drawn up a memorandum of instructions, which was forwarded by the last mail, from which we expect by trying the eggs, the larvae, and the pup®, to succeed in establishing the species before our next anniversary. Of the Ligurian Bee, four hives were shipped with every care, by Mr. Edward Wilson, on board a vessel which is expected to arrive every day. Such measures have been taken in conjunction with the Apiarian Society, as will almost certainly establish the insects in this country if they reach us alive; and when the immense superiority of this bee over the common hive-bee, in the quality and quantity of the honey, is considered, the country will acknowledge another debt of gratitude to Mr. Wilson for this addi- dition to the wealth of the poor man, as well as to the enjoyment of all. 45 Crustacea. Of Crustacea, we have only attempted to bring for our bay, the English crab and lobster, most excellent additions to our table, which were shipped by our indefatigable friend, Mr. L. Mackinnon, of The Argus. They would undoubtedly thrive well, if we once had them across the tropics, but those first sent have died on the voyage, without our having been able to ascertain the exact cause of the faiHre. We shall try again, and endeavour to secure the services of an attendant, who may feed and mind them, with some other shipments. The large Murray lobster (Polamobius serratus) has now been succcessfully acclimatised in the Yarra. Mollusca. Of the lower invertebrate animals, the mollusca, as represented by the oyster, have engaged the attention of the Society during the year, and the measures suggested for the preservation of the oyster- beds on our coasts, have been partially adopted by the Government with beneficial results ; and in the coming year the experience ac¬ quired by the French Government in the formation of the artificial oyster-beds, and the preservation of the young, will be applied as far as in our power to the extension and improvement of those on our own coasts. Attempts will also be made to introduce the Sydney species. Fishes. The British Salmon has been the subject of most encouraging, although unsuccessful experiments by the Society, and it is almost certain that we shall shortly succeed in establishing this invaluable fish, first in the Tasmanian rivers, and then in those of Gipps’ Land, the temperature of which, has been found to be sufficie ntly low to suit the fish well. Two shipments of ova were made and no expense or care was spared. The mechanical arrangements were excellent, and a large supply of ice was laid in to maintain a supply of sufficiently cool fresh water while passing the tropics. The first shipment was in the “ S. Curling,” under the care of Mr. A. Black, and the second in the “ Beautiful Star,” under the care of Mr. Itamsbottom. In each case the ova survived in perfect health for a number of days, equal to an or¬ dinary passage and they only died when the supply of ice became exhausted ; so that by having a larger supply of ice and selecting a faster vessel we are confident of success in our attempts to import the ova, and from the perfection to which the art of pisciculture 46 has now attained, there is every reason to hope that the fish may be permanently acclimatized in our cooler rivers. During the last few months we have also commenced arrangements for introducing some of the American Salmon. Two attempts have also been made by the Society to introduce the Gouramier, a most delicious fresh-water fish a nativo of China, but which has been for some time most successfully reared in tanks in the Mauritius. The greater difficulty of bringing the fish from China to the Mauritius having been successfully overcome, the lesser difficulty of bringing it from thence here, i3 one we have every hope of being able soon to announce as overcome. The first shipment in one of the P. and O. Company’s steamers would certainly have been success¬ ful but for the misfortune of a well-intentioned friend having changed them into distilled water, which of course, contained no air for them to breathe. The second shipment, under the care of Captain Lowry, in the ‘‘ Formosa,” failed, owing to the great cold, from which the tank could not be protected. Both these failures are only looked upon by all concerned in them, however, as indications of success, and we are now trying again. English bream, dace, tench, loach, roach, and carp, we have already imported, and we are stocking the Yan Yean reservoir, with tench. Of the Murray cod ( Oligonn macquarricmis I am happy to announce that Mr. Edward Wilson’s experiment of introducing it into the Yarra has been entirely successful, and on the table is one, upwards of one foot long, caught there a few months ago by Mr. T, W. Ware, of the Chief Secretary’s office, who brought it to me for identification, while still fresh. BrRDS. Passing over the various small English song birds, and those for the destruction of insects, which are in our list of birds already in¬ troduced, I will briefly draw your attention to those which we hope to introduce during the coming year, and of which I have placed spe¬ cimens before you. 1 he first is the long legged eagle, the Serpent-eater, or Secretary bird of South Africa, which we have arranged ■with Mr. Layard to introduce for the purpose for which it is so valuable in the Cape colony, namely, the destruction of our snakes, for which its structure is specially adapted. From the same country we have just received three ostriches, and expect a further consignment, to enable us to establish this valuable bird in the sandy portions of the interior of the continent. The specimens before you of the great- crowned pigeon (Goura coronata), a species of delicate flesh, nearly 47 as large as a guinea-fowl, will give you an idea of a bird for which we have made arrangements to procure a supply from New Guinea and Java, sufficient to establish it wild in the country. The two species of Curassow from the warmer parts of South America which you see before you (Cntx aleclor, and Pauxi metu), as large as small turkeys, and equally good for the table, have already been introduced by the society in some numbers, and have been distributed to such members of the society as keep poultry, in hopes that some of them may succeed in breeding the birds (as was formerly done in Holland), so as to increase the stock to such an extent that large numbers might be turned loose in the warmer parts of the colony. The common pheasant, of which a Victorian-bred specimen is on the table, has been « introduced in large numbers by the society, and we may claim to have already acclimatised it. They have bred abundantly with Mr. Austin, at Barwon Park ; Mr. Chirnside, at Wyndham ; Mr. Lyall, at Prog- more ; and at the Botanic Gardens; and have been liberated at Philip Island and other islands at Western Port, and on Mr. Henty’s country at Portland, where he reports their satisfactory increase in the wild state. The English common partridge has now also been accli¬ matised ; it is in numbers in the neighbourhood of Mr. Austin’s pro¬ perty, at Barwon Park; and large numbers which are on their way out to us, shipped by our president Mr. Edward Wilson, will be liber¬ ated when they have recovered from the voyage, in large numbers in the islands of Western Port, and several suitable localities on the mainland; so that after very few years we may let, at certain seasons, the sportsmen indulge their bumps of destruction to at least at moderate extent on them. A large shipment of the red-legged or Guernsey partridge (specimens of which are also on the table) has been likewise ordered ; and this finer, stronger, and larger bird will be liberated in the wanner, more northern parts of the colony. And, as showing that no part of the colony has been neglected, we made arrangements for procuring in largo numbers, for the cold lofty mountains of Gipps Land, those magnificent birds which you see before you — the impeyan or monal pheasant (Lophophorus iinpeyanus), the most splendid of all the game birds ; the cheer pheasant ( Catreus wallichi) ; the purple kaleege (Gallophasis Horsjieldi) ; the black-backed kaleege [G. melanotus) ; and the white-crested kaleege (G. albocristatus), from the Himalaya Mountains, a little below the snow line. All of these birds have been bred successfully by the Zoological Society of London of late years, in numbers, and rejoice in a 'climate like that of the Highlands of Scotland, although their brilliant plumage looks more like that 48 of tropical birds; and from tbc abundance of their favorite food and the suitable temperature, we entertain no doubt of permanently establishing all of these in a wild state in the higher alpine regions of Gipps Land. From the same part of India we have also purchased a large number of the three other excellent, hardy, and delicious birds before you, viz. :—The lerwa nivicola, or Himalayan ptarmigan, for the mountains, and the common black francolin and the chukar partridge for the lower country. Time will not permit me to allude to a number of other birds, to which I wished to draw your at¬ tention in connexion with our labours, such as the Californian quail and tire summer duck, both of which breed with us now in abun¬ dance. But before leaving the birds I must announce a very in¬ teresting fact, that Mr. Bishop, a miner and storekeeper at Kingower, has succeded in rearing the rnallee hen (Leipoa ocellata ) in numbers to maturity in his poultry yard, and they w'ere all laying on the 27th October last. As this bird lays an enormous number of eggs, and al¬ though the bird is not large, the egg is of the extraordinary large size which you see here, each of them weighing about seven ounces, it may readily be conceived what a valuable addition it will be to our poultry-yards, and to those of our acclimatising correspondents in Europe, who look to us for something good in return for the many valuable contributions they afford to us. Quadrupeds. Of Quadrupeds I have left myself no time to speak; although concerning them the Society may bo proud of what it has already done, and may claim a high consideration for what it is at pre¬ sent engaged in. The Hare and Rabbit have been introduced, and the latter so thoroughly acclimatised, that it swarms in hundreds in some localities, and can at any time be extended to others. The Bos Iudicus, both the large variety, or Brahmin hull, and the small zebu, have been introduced, and more are coming. That large an¬ telope, the Nylgau, of which a specimen is before you, has also been purchased by one of our correspondents, but as the flesh is not of the finest quality, no additional trouble will be taken with it. Of the Sambur deer, and the spotted Axis deer of Iudia, you see before you specimens imported by the Society; of the first, whidh reminds us of the red deer of Europe, we have nine, and of the latter, which resembles the fallow deer, we have also nine, and more of each are coming. Six of each have been liberated, and when our fresh stock arrives, they will all be liberated in the warmer northern part of the colony, where in a climate, as you see by the map, like their native •49 one, they will no doubt, increase even more rapidly than in confine¬ ment near Melbourne. Of the red deer (Cei vus Elaphus), the herd of six, imported by Mr. Chirnside two years ago, has increased to eleven ; and of the fallow deer we now possess twenty-two, and may assume the species as perfectly acclimatised. There are several wild herds increasing rapidly in various parts of the country. One herd is often seen in the lonely district in which one of the Government geologist's field parties is at work,and an other of upwards of fifty is wild on Philip Island, and several have been encountered on the hills between Bass River and Powlett River, so that no doubt a great part of Gipps Land will soon be stocked with this deer, which affords the finest venison of Europe. The red deer and fallow deer, you see by the map, naturally inhabit a somewhat colder lati¬ tude than the Sambur and the Axis deer, and we contemplate stock¬ ing the cooler southern portion of the colony with the two former, as we have imported the two latter for the wanner northern portions. Six roebucks were presented to us by his late Royal Highness Prince Albert shortly before his death — a calamity which deprived us, like so many others, of a powerful friend, who took a lively and practical interest in our labours, .and found time toaid in the development of our undertakings. The Indian hogdeer we have five of, and are shortly expecting more to turn wild in the northern part of the colony. Specimens of both these are before you, as well as of the beautiful South American deer, the gouazout (Cervus [Ainstocecas] campestrin), which we expect with some llamas and alpacas, and which inhabit¬ ing, as you see by the map, the same latitudes as the great part of Australia, we hope to acclimatise for the more northern parts of the country. Thirty-three camels have been introduced, and the society has accepted the kind offer of Messrs. Samuel and Charles Wilson to allow a great breeding station for them to be formed on their station on the Wimmera, where they are thriving admirably. A large number have now been born in the colony, and several which escaped from the exploring parties have adapted themselves perfectly to the country, and have been seen in various parts of New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia. The camelidse of South America also constitute a great triumph for the Australian acclimatises. We at present possess thirty-eight llamas—of which the fine specimens before you were bred in the colony — and two alpacas, and 500 more alpacas are expected in a few weeks, to be landed by Mr. Duffield, as a portion of 1,500 to arrive. These are all in¬ tended for the high cold mountains of Gipps Land, where, in a climate like their native one, and with suitable native plants for D 50 food, there can be no doubt that all their best qualities will be preserved, if not improved. Our own flocks have increased rapidly. The Angora goats of Asia Minor, we have introduced with great success and benefit, and in a few months we expect a largo number of the pure Cashmere-shawl goat, from Thibet, which have been already purchased for the Society, with the intention of forming a great herd on some of the highest mountains of Gipps Land, which retain snow sufficiently long to produce the temperature necessary for preser¬ vation of the finest qualities of the wool and hair. And finally, we have made such arrangements as will bring us, during the year, seve- lal of the most valuable of the South African antelopes — specimens are before you of a number — out of which the oryx and koodoo we trust to receive first, and finally, that finest of all the African antelopes, the eland (Oreas camia), a species larger than the largest ox, but with the most delicate and nutritious flesh, is to be the chief object on which our resources will be expended, to acclimatise it, in the coming year. And as it inhabits, as you see by the map, the same lati¬ tudes in South Africa, as our country presents, and is remarkable for flourishing for months together without drinking, and when the herb¬ age is as dry as powder, we hope by acclimatising it on the route of our exploring expedition of Burke to Carpentaria, to fix in that country’ for ever a supply of that wholesome food, the want of which has caused us to mourn our heroic explorers. Now, ladies and gentlemen, you see the great task which has been reserved for us — the stocking of our new country with all the more important, useful, and ornamental kinds of animals, whether quadru¬ peds, birds, or fishes, which are to be found in other parts of the world in similar climates, but of which the vast continent of Austra¬ lia has been left by nature most singularly and exceptionally desti¬ tute. This task our Acclimatisation Society has undertaken; and from what I have stated this evening, you see that, even already our labours and our success have been neither few’ nor unimportant. To be most thoroughly successful, however, the Society requires the sympathy of every man, woman, and child in the country, as even the humblest or w'eakest may’ help the cause by aiding in the pre¬ servation of the creatures turned loose by the Society, until they have had time to establish themselves completely in numbers in the country ■ and the support, as far as becoming members of the Society’ of all those who can afford it, is also required, and would not only most materially aid the Society in those early and expensive years, but the moral effect produced on the Government by a large body of intelligent and influential members would tend to insure (he 51 permanent recognition and stability of the Society, which is abso¬ lutely essential to the ultimate success of the undertaking, and with¬ out which permanence all the earlier expenditure of money and labour would have been thrown away. When we see the Acclimatisation Society of Paris number¬ ing more than a dozen kings amongst its members, although without the great vantage ground of usefulness that we possess in having an unstocked country to till, I feel sure that it only requires to be known that the Society requires more members, to insure its success, and we shall find the inhabitants of Victoria responding readily to the call with that public spirit they have so often exhibited. In thanking you, in conclusion, for your kind attention, I must express my anxious hope that so great and good a public work may not suffer by having had on this occasion so inefficient an advocate as myself to bring before you its claims to universal sympathy and support. Wilson & Mackinuon, Printers, 78, Collins Street East. 4Ns!Hjm rtiu:. .fi 4 \ ir'- J x - •" • ' - \ m. XA >■- i * •: " ■ 4 I . r f^.r A? ^