,<l , o O

l

TIIK

SIXTH

/ V ■ . '

r •'

O . -

j^oriefn of Victoria.

AS AKOI'TI'.n

ANNUAL REPORT

% I OK TH i:

At thk An-ntat, Meeting or the Society, iiki.i* Maiicii Itm, lsP.3,
_ at t iir Mechanics’ Institute, Mw.nnritNE.

“ (Omnia (cvet omnia tellna."

M K'LBOUBNK :

STI U.WI-a.I. k KNICIIT. 1‘HINTKHS, UnlJ.I.VS STHKMT MAST.

THE

SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

jwcictjr trf Widam,

as Adopted

At the Annual Meeting of the Society, held March 12tii, 18G8.
at the Mechanics’ Institute, Melbourne.

“Omni* feret amniit

MELBOURNE:

STILLWELL & KNIGHT, PRINTERS, COLLINS STREET EAST.

1868.

LIST OF THE OFFICERS

OF THE

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

PATRON.

His Excellency tiie Hon. SIR J. H. T. MANNERS SUTTON, K.O.B.
&c. &c. &c.

COUNCIL.

PRESIDENT.

THOMAS BLACK, Esq., M.D., &c. Sec.

VICE-PRESIDENTS.

FERDINAND MUELLER, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., Sec. Se e.
PROFESSOR McCOY.

Hon. S. H. BINDON, M.L.A.
Db. JOSEPH BLACK.
COMTE DE CASTELNAU.
LIEUT-COLONEL CHAMP.

F. S. DOBSON, Esq.

G. C. LEVEY, E_sq.

W. LYALL, Esq.'

Hon. A. MICHIE, Q.C.

F. G. MOULE, Esq.

COMMITTEE.

C. M. OFFICER, Esq.
ALBERT PURCHAS, Esq.
A. R. C. SELWYN, Esq.

R. BROUGH SMYTH, Esq.
L. J. SHERRARD, Esq.

J. STEAVENSON, Esq.

J. TOWERS, Esq.

H. P. VENABLES, Esq.

HON. TREASURER.

T. J. SUMNEE, Esq.

SOCIETY’S OFFICE. SOCIETY’S DEPOT.

No. 30. SWANSTON STREET. ROYAL PARK.

Mr. GEO. SPRIGG, Secretary.

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL,

FOR THE YEAR 1807.

The Council of the Acclimatisation Society, in submitting to the
Subscribers and Public the Sixth Annual Report, regrets to have to
state that the financial position of the Society is not satisfactory.
The subscriptions, more especially in the country districts, have
fallen off, and in consequence the Council was not enabled to claim
more than two-thirds of the Government grant for 1867. Added to
this, is the fact, that in consequence of the Appropriation Act not
having been passed by the Legislature, no portion of the grant has
yet been paid, and the only funds available have been obtained
upon the personal guarantee of Members of the Council. These
facts will, the Council hopes, satisfactorily account for its restricted
action during the past year.

Since the last annual meeting the following changes have taken
place in'the Council:—Mr. Box and the Rev. W. Fellows have
resigned, and Mr. G- E. Evans and Mr. L. J. Sherrard were
appointed in their stead. It now devolves upon this meeting to
permanently fill these vacancies, and also those caused by the retire¬
ment of Messrs. G. E. Evans, G. S. Lang, and Dr. Bleasdale.

The introduction of the following quadrupeds and birds has taken

place during the year :
5 Nylghau
4 Ostriches
3 Axis deer
2 Sambur deer

2 Japanese deer
2 Batavia deer
6 Ceylon partridges
80 English skylarks

In addition to these, the Council received from Tasmania 200
trout fry, which were temporarily placed in a rill specially con¬
structed for them at the Royal Park. Also, thanks to the energetic
kindness of Mr. Morton Allport, a considerable number of English
perch has been received, and it is hoped that the increase of these

6

fish will speedily enable the Council to commence stocking some
of the reservoirs now in course of construction in various parts of
the colony ; this important work being one that the Council is ex¬
tremely desirous of performing, more especially as the Government
has promised every assistance in its power to accomplish so desirable
an object.

The Council is happy to be able to report that the salmon experi¬
ment, undertaken by this Society in conjunction with the Tasmanian
Salmon Commissioners, proceeds most satisfactorily in Tasmania.
Attached to this Report is published the last Report of the Salmon
Commissioners,* a perusal of which is surely sufficient to convince
the most sceptical that hitherto success has been obtained.

The Angora goats continue to thrive admirably, and the Society’s
splendid flock now numbers upwards of 200, in addition to 70 young
pure bred rams which have been distributed over the colony.

The difierent species of deer which have been turned loose in
various parts of the colony are increasing fast. Special reference
may be made to the herd of Axis deer liberated by the Council, in
conjunction with Mr. S. Wilson, on the Wimmera.

The English hare, wherever it has been turned out, has increased
at a marvellous rate, and within a very short time may fairly be
expected to be available both for food and sport.

The gardens at the Royal Park prove more and more attractive,
and the number of visitors is considerably on the increase.

Taking advantage of the residence of Mr. R. T. Firebracc in
London, the Council requested him to interest himself on their
behalf, and his response has been most hearty and effective. The
(Society owes much to the valuable services rendered during the past
year by this gentleman, and it is gratifying to know that his assist¬
ance will still be continued.

The sparrows which were introduced by this Society have multi
plied to such an extent that the Council has been enabled to
distribute numbers of them to Becclnvorth, Benalla, Kyneton
Ballarat, Castlcmaine, Daylesford, Warrnambool, Geelong St’
Arnaud, Heathcote, Somerton, Winchelsea, Meredith, Gisborn^

* Seo page 36.

7

Ararat, Portland, Maryborough, and the Murray ; and from all
these places replies have been received of a very satisfactory nature.

In the Report for 18G5 the Council mentioned that, at the sug¬
gestion of the Hon. J. G. Francis, Commissioner of Customs, a con¬
siderable number of goats, rabbits, pigs, fowls, ducks, and geese, had
been sent down by the Society, in II.M.C.S. Victoria, for liberation
at the Auckland Islands, to be of service to any persons who might
unfortunately be shipwrecked there. It was not then anticipated
how soon these animals would bo required, but it is now known
that within five months of their being placed on the Islands, the
survivors from the “General Grant” were indebted to them for
sustenance. In consequence of this success, the Council has
determined to ship a much larger quantity of stock by the first
opportunity to these Islands.

The establishment of State Forests by the Government will greatly
facilitate the dispersion throughout the colony of the various descrip¬
tions of game and other useful animals, and will enable the Society
to introduce them into localities where, for want of proper protec¬
tion, any attempt at acclimatisation was previously attended with
great difficulty.

It having been thought advisable to alter the date at which the
annual subscription to the Society shall bo payable, an alteration
in Rule No. 3 will be submitted for your approval, by which the
date fixed will be 1st January instead of 1st September.

During the visit of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh to the colony,
the Council prepared the following address, which, with copies of
the Society’s Reports, was presented to H.R.II. by the President,
and to which a reply has been received.

8

TO

|)is |lonnl Harass prince ^Ufrtb (Ernest ^Jbxrf,

DUKE OF EDINBURGH,

Knight of the Most Nolle Order of the Garter ,
ilx. &c. d'c.

May it Please Youe Royal Highness,

\Ve, tlie Members of the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria, do
ourselves the distinguished honour of approaching your Royal
Highness with sentiments of loyalty and attachment to Her
Majesty’s throne and person, and we humbly offer our most sincere
congratulations on your safe arrival in this distant part of Her
Majesty’s Empire.

We presume it is unnecessary to remind your Royal Highness of
tlie deep interest your late illustrious and ever-to-be-lamented father,
the Prince Consort, took in the cause of Acclimatisation, and also
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, as evidenced by His
Royal Highness’ acceptance of the presidency of a kindred institu¬
tion in Great Britain.

We further do ourselves the honour of presenting to your Royal
Highness the published reports of our Society, and we do so with
the hope that you will find that our past labours have not been in
vain.

We have the honor to be, with the most profound respect,

Your Royal Highness’ most obedient servants,

Signed on behalf of the Society,

THOMAS BLACK,
President.

9

REPLY.

Gentlemen,

I duly appreciate the sentiments of loyalty which your address
contains.

You are correct in supposing that I share in the interest taken
in the cause of Acclimatisation by other members of my family,
and I have no doubt that the success of your efforts in this colony
must confer many signal benefits upon its inhabitants.

I accept with pleasure the published record of your past proceed¬
ings, and I trust that your future course may be attended with
results as satisfactory as those which appear to have crowned your
past labours.

(Signed) ALFRED.

To the President and Members of the

Acclimatisation Society of Victoria.

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

From September 1st, 18G6, to August olsf, 1867.

10

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f This amount was specially subscribed for the purchase of a medal.

11

LIFE MEMBERS.

All Members marked thus * pay their Annual Subscription also.

Aid worth and Co., Sandhurst £10 10 0
Armitage, George, Ballaarat ♦. 10 10 0
Armstrong, W., Hexham,. .. 10 10 0
Austin, Thomas, Barwon Park .. 10 10 0
Bagot, C. -N., Melbourne Club .. 10 10 0
Barkly, His Excellency Sir

Henry, Mauritius .. .. 42 0 0

•Bear, Hon. J.P., M.L.C., Queen-

street . .. 21 0 0

Boar, Thomas II., Heidelberg .. 10 10 0

Black, Dr. Thomas, Melbourne

Club .10 10 0

Black, W. t Belfast.10 10 0

Borough Council of Sandhurst ..10 10 0

Box, H., Little Collins-street

West .10 10 0

Boyd and Currie, Collins-street

West .10 10 0

Bright Brothers, Messrs. & Co.,

Flinders-lano

10

10

0

Brown, Lindsay, Garramadda,

Wahgunyah

10

10

0

Catto, John, Newbridge, Loddon

10

10

0

Chambers, H. J., St. Hilda

Services

Cooper, Sir Daniel, London

37

2

0

Coppin, Goo. S., Cremorne

10

10

0

Creawick, Borough Council of ..

10

10

0

Cumming, G., Mount Fyans

10

10

0

Cumming, W., Mount Fyans ..

10

10

0

Curr, E. M., Queen-street

10

10

0

♦Dalgety & Co., Messrs., Little

Collins-street..

10

10

0

♦Darling, His Excellency Sir

Charles H., London .. ..

10

10

0

Docker, I<\ G., Wangaratta

10

10

0

•Falconer, J. J., Bank of Austral-

. aaia .

20

0

0

Fellows, The Hon. T. II.

10

10

0

Firebracc, R. T., Hey field,

Gipps Land .

10

10

0

Fttssell, It. S. K. Fou Chou

dols. 60.

11

0

10

Glass, Hugh, 18, A'Beckett-

street

21

0

0

Glass, R. J., Whaiparclla..

10

10

0

♦Henty, Tlie Hon. S. G., M.L.C.,

31, Market-street

10

10

0

Ilervey, The Hon. M., M.L.C.,

Melbourne Club

10

10

0

•Hoffmann, W., Bush Back,

Esscndon .

26

0

0

Jamieson, Hugh, Mildura

£10 10 0

Jenner, Hon. C. J., M.L.C.

D&rebin Creek ..

, 10 10 0

Jones, Lloyd, Avenol

10 10 0

•Joshua Bros., William-street

, 10 10 0

Landells, G. J., Lahore, India

Services

Layard, C. P., Colombo ..

Services

Layard, E. L., Cape Town
Learmonth, Thomas, Ereibdan-

Services

riley, Portland

10 10 0

Londesborough, The Right Hon¬
orable Lord, Carlton Gardens,

London .37 10 0

Lyall, W., Frogmore .. 10 10 0

Mackenzie, John, 70^ Queen-

stroet .10 10 0

Mackinnon, L., “Argus” Office Services
Macintosh, Alexander, Green

Hills, Diggers Rest

10 10

0

Maimers Sutton, His Excellency

The Hon. Sir J. II. T.

10 10

0

Marshall, Captain D. S., “A.

H. Badger" .*

Services

Martin, Dr., Heidelberg ,.

10 10

0

Matheson, J., Bank of Victoria..

21 0

0

McGill, A.

10 10

0

McGregor, Samuel, Belfast

10 10

0

McIIaflie, John, Phillip Island ..

10 10

0

McMullen, J., Union Bank

21 0

0

Molloy, W. T., Balmoral.. ..

10 10

0

Mueller, Dr., Botanic Gardens ..

10 10

0

Municip 1 Council of Ballaarat

West .

20 0

0

Murray, S., Dunrobin

10 10

0

•Nicholson, Gennaln, Collins-

street East

10 10

0

♦Officer, C. S., Mount Talbot

10 10

0

♦Power, Hon. Thomas H., Haw-

thorn .

10 10

0

Purchas, Albert, Kcw

Services

Rltuhio, J., S treat ham

10 10

0

*Rostron, John R., Navarro

10 10

0

Rusden, G. W., Brighton

10 10

0

Russell, A., Matuwalloch .

10 10

0

♦Rutledge, William, Belfast

10 10

0

♦Salmon, J. E.,S. and A. C. Bank

21 0

0

Sargood, King & Sargood,

Flindcrs-streot East ..

10 10

0

Shoobridge, E., Valleyfleld, Tas-

mania.

10 10

0

12

Simpson, Robert, Lange Hal

Kal . £10 10 0

Sloden, lion. C., M.L.C., Birre-

gnrra *♦ *.10 10 0

Sloan, W. S., Fou Chou, dels. 50 11 0 10
Spowers, Allan, “ Argus ” Office 10 10 0
Stanbridge, W. E., Daylesford.. 10 10 0
Staughton, 8. T., Little Collins-

etreet West .10 10 0

Stewart, J., Emordale, Streatham 21 0 0

Strachan, J., London Chartered

Bank .21 0 0

Sumner, T. J., 24, Flindcrs-lane

West .. .. . .. 10 10 0

Taylor, Frcdorick, Molbourno

Club . £10 10 0

•Taylor, W., Overnowton, Keilor 10 10 0
Templeton, Hugh, Fitzroy Services

•Ware, Joseph, Carramut.. ..10 10 0

Wilson and Maclcinnon, Collins-

street East .. 42 9 0

•Wilson, Edward, “ Argus ” Office 21 0 0
Wilson, Samuel, Wimmera . . 10 10 0
Winter, James, Toolambra, Mur¬
chison . 10 10 0

Winter, Thomas, Winchelsea .. 10 10 0
Youl, James A., Clapham Park,

London .. ., Services

ANNUAL

Anderson and Wright, Carron

Timber Yard .. .. £2 2 0

Baines, Edward, Little Collins-

street East .2 2 0

Banks Bros. Bell and Co.,

Fliuders-place ., ..220

Bathe, Dr., St. Kilda ..220

A’Bcckett, Hon. T.T., M.L.C., St.

Kilda .2 2 0

Benn, John, 24, Flindcrs-lane

West .2 2 0

Bimlon, The Hon. S. II., M.L.A.,

Temple Court .. .. ..220

Black, Dr. Joseph, Bourke-strcct

West .2 2 0

Bland, R. U., Clunes .. ..220

BUgh & Harbottle, Flinders-lane

West .2 2 0

Briscoe and Company, 11 Collins-

street East .2 2 0

Brodribb, K. E., Chancery-lane 2 2 0
Brown, Charles, 33, Bourke-strcct

West .2 2 0

Buckley & Nunn, 27, Bourkc-st.

East .2 2 0

Callender, J. and Co., 20,King-st. 2 2 0
Campbell, I). S., Bank Place .. 2 2 0
Carfrae, John, Victoria Parade .. 2 2 0

Champ, Colonel, William-street 2 2 0

Charsley, E., Eldon Chambers ..330
Chomley, A. W., Collins-street

East .2 2 0

Christy, F. C., Williamstown ..220
Clarke, W., and Sons, Elizabeth-

street .. .. .. ..220

Clarke, W. J., Sunbury .. ..220

MEMBERS.

Clarke, W. J. T., Collins-street

East .£2 2 0

Clough, J. H., & Co., Messrs.,

113, Collins-street West ..220
Cumming, John, Darlington .. 2 2 0
Cuthbcrt, Henry, Ballarat ..220
Dalgety, Blackwood and Co., Little-

Collins-stroet West .. ..220

Dalgety and Co., Geelong .. 2 2
Dalhunty, L. V., C'arcoar, N. S. W. 2 2 0
Davison, —, Geelong .. ..220

Dawson, M., Brunswick .. .. 2 2 0

Dobson, F. S., Chancery-lane .. 2 2 0
Ebdcn, C, 11., Melbourne Club .. 2 2 0
Evans, G. E , “ Argus” Office ..220

Fanning, Naukivcll and Co.,

Elizabeth-strect .. ..220

Fellows, ltev. W., Toorak ..220
Finlay, J., Emerald Hill ,. ..220

Frauds, lion. J. G., M.L.A., 20

King-street .2 2 0

Fraser and Co., 14, Collins-street

West .2 2 0

Fulton, Thomas, and Co., Flin-

ders-street West .. .. 2 2 0

Gibb, R. B., Ballarat .. ., 2 2 0

Godfrey, F. U., Mount Ridley,

Somerton .2 2 0

Coldsborough, R., and Co.,

Bourkc-street West .. .. 2 2 0

Graham, J., 97, Little Collins-st.

East .2 2 0

Gray, Charles, Narub Narub ..220
Green, Molesworth, Melbourne

Club .2 2 0

Grice, R., Flinders-lano West ..220

13

Gurner, H. F., Collins-street East £2 2
Haddon, F. W., “ Argus” Office 2 2
Haigh Brothers, Collins-aft. East 2 2

Harcourt, J. T., Richmond .. 2 2

Harris, Thos. L., Bulla .* .. 2 2

Harrison, Captain, Jamieson .. 2 2
IIonty,Hon. S. G., M.L.C.,Market-

street *. •• •• ..22

Henty, Richmond, Kew .. .. 2 2

Highctt, Hon. W., M.L.C., Mel¬
bourne Club.2 2

Highett, Miss, Richmond ..2 2

Iliginbotham, Hon. Geo., M.L.A.,

Temple Court.2 2

Hoffmann, W.,Essendon.. ..2 2

Hogg, E.J., Blackwell, Brighton 2 2
Hogg, J., Brighton .. ..2 2

House, Samuel, and Co., Queen-st. 2 2

Howes, D. J., Belfast .. .. 2 2

Joshua, Bros., 46, William-stroet 2 2
Her, W. L., Killingworth .. 2 2

Kilpatrick and Co., Collins-street

West . 22

K ng, Dr., Ballarat .. .. 2 2

Langhorn, A., MelboumeClub .. 2 2

Loader, Thomas, Elizabeth-street 2 2
Macfarlano, Fetor, Kaleitha, Yea 2 2
Macfarlanc, A., and Co.,Flindcrs-

lanoEast .2 2

Manners Sutton, His Excellency

Sir J. II. T.10 0

Martin, George, aud Co,-, 25, Mar¬
ket-street ".2 2

McArthur, Sherrard and Co.,

Collins-street East .. .. 2 2

McCoy, Professor, University .. 2 2
McCracken and Co., Little Collins-

street West .. .. ..22

McCrao, A., Kilmoro .. ..2 2

McEwan and Co., Swanston-8t. 2 2
McNaughton, Love and Co., Flin-

dors-lane East .. .« ..22

Michle, Hon. A., Temple Court.. 2 2
Moore, U. Byron, Crown Lands

Office .2 2

Moule, F. G., Chancery Lano .. 2 2
Napier, Thomas, Moonec Ponds 2 2
Nicholson, Cermaiu, 09, Collins-

street East .2 2

Nutt, R. W., William-street .. 2 2
Officer, C. M., Balmarino,Toorak 2 2
Paterson, Ray, Palmer, and Co.,

Flinders-lanc West .. .. 2 2

Phelps, J. J., Melbourne Club ..£2 2 0

Power, Thomas IT., Queen-street 2 2 0
Power, Robert, Hawthorn .. 5 5 o
Robinson, L., Collins-street East 2 2 0
Robertson, Wm., Temple Court 2 2 0
Rolfe and Bailey, Bourkc-street

West .2 2 0

Russell, Philip, Chewton ,. ..220

Rutledge, W., Belfast .. ..220

Ryan and Hammond, Bourke-

street West ..2 2 0

Ryloy, F., Wangaratta .. .. 2 2 0

Sands and McDougall, Collins-

street West . .220

Sargood, King and Sargood, 23,

Flinders-strcet East .. .. 2 2 0

Solwyn, A. R. C., Brighton .. 2 2 0
Sherwin, John, Braemar .. ..220

Simpson, Robert, Langi, Kal Kal 2 2 0
Sloano and Co., Collins-street

West .2 2 0

Smalc, A. W., 105, Collins-street

East .2 2 0

Stephen, F. J. S., Little Collins-

street East .2 2 0

Smyth, R. Brough, Flemington.. 2 2 0
Spowcrs, Allan, “ Argus ” Office 2 2 0
Sprigg, W. G., 15, Queen-street 2 2 0
Stcavenson, J., William-stroot ..220
Stevenson, L., aud Sons, Flin-

ders-lanc East.5 5 0

Stewart, J., Ballarat .. ..220

Sturt, E. P. S., Swanston-street 2 2 0
Taylor, Hon. Wm., M.L.C., Keilor 2 2 0
Terry, Leonard, William-street... 2 2 0
Thomas, I)r., Collins-street East 2 2 0
Towers, John, “ Australasian ”

Offico . 2 2 0

Tumbull,R. and T., William-street 2 2 0
Turner, James, 104 Gore-street.. 2 2 0
Venables, II. I\, Education Office 2 2 0
White, W. P., and Co. 10, Eliza¬
beth-street .. .. ..220

Wilshin and Leighton, 7, Markct-

streot .2 2 0

Wilson, Dr., Summer Hill,

Somcrton .2 2 0

Wilson, Edward, “ Argus ” Office 2 2 0
Wood, J. D., Temple Court ..220
Wraggo, George, 134, Collins-

street East .2 2 0

Wyatt, Alfred, Temple Court ..220

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

0

0

14

DONATIONS.

Bank of Australasia, Ararat £0 10 0 .

Brearly Brothers, Geelong .. 1 0 0 |

Bright and Hitchcock, Geelong ..110
Burrell, Captain, 'Willlamstown ..110
Castelnau, Comte do, Apsley Place 110
Courtney, E., Temple Court ..110

Daly, J., Collins-etreet .. ..110

Deans, —, Ararat.0 10 0

Gramill, J., Ararat .♦ .. ..050

Grant, J., Pleasant Creek .. ..110

Henderson, Rev. W., Ballarat .. 0 7 G

Hepburn, J., Ballarat .. ..100

Howitt, Dr., Colllns-street .. 10 0

Johnson, S., Ballarat .. ..026

Langford, W., Willlamstown ..026
Lewie, R., Ballarat. .110

Mathews, W., Morson

£0 10

0

Mathicson, J., Bank of Victoria ..

1

0

0

Meakin, H., Geelong

0 10

0

Morgan, —, Morsin.

0 10

6

Morgan, J., Willlamstown..

0

5

0

McPherson, W., Ararat

0

5

0

Nicholson, —

1

0

0

Pike, Mrs., South Yarra ..

0 10

0

Ross, P. F., Lonsdale-street

1

0

0

Slattcr, — .

0

5

0

Tait, J., Geelong.

1

1

0

Velum and Co., Geelong ..

1

1

0

Watson, Wm., and Sons, Littlo

Collitts-street East

1

1

0

Webster, A., Ararat

1

1

0

HONORARY MEMBERS.

Allport, Morton, Hobart Town.

Beckx, Gustave, Flinders Lane West.

Biagi, Giuseppe, William Street.

Blanchard, W., Collins Street West.

Boutau, A., Yahoue, New Caledonia.
Buokland, Dr. F., London.

Castelnau, Comte de, Apsley Place.
Chalmers, Dr., New Zealand.

Cleeland, J., Albion Hotel, Bourke-street.
Cooper, Ricardo, Queen Street.

Coste, Professor, Huningue.

Damyon, James, Market Street.

Drouyn, do Lhuys. Paris.

Francis, Francis, London.

Gillanders & Arhuthnot, Calcutta.

Godfrey, Captain J. B., New Zealand.
Graham, James, Littlo Collins Street East.
Groto, Arthur, Calcutta.

Johnston, Clement, Crown Lands Office.
Latham, General, Little Collins Street West.

Madden, Walter, Office of Minos.

Mathieu, A., Yahouo, New Caledonia.
Micliaclis, Moritz, Elizabeth Street.
Michael, Major, Madras.

McQueen, Captain, “Martha Blmic.”
Mullick, Rajeudro, Calcutta.

Officer, Hon. Dr., Hobart Town.

Ploos Van Amstel, J. M., Collins St. West.
Ramel, Monsieur, Paris.

Rcntsch, Samuel, Flinders Street East.
Ridgers, Captain, “ Sussex.”

Robinson, J., Calcutta.

Salt, Titus, Saltaire, England.

Scliolstein, Adolp., Flinders Lane West.
Sclater, Dr. P. L., London.

Shinner, Captain, “ Lincolnshire.”

Smith, Captain, “ Dover Castle.”

Squire, Surgeon John, Dinapore.

St. Hilaire, G., Bois de Boulogne, Paris.
Were, J. B., Collins Street West.

THE RULES AND OBJECTS

or THE

1. The objects of the Society shall be the introduction,
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, tic., from parts of the colonies were
they are already known, to other localities where they are not
known; — the procuring, whether by purchase, gift, or ex¬
change, of .animals, tic., from Great Britain, the British colo¬
nies, and foreign countries the transmission of animals, tic.,
from the colony to England and foreign parts, in exchange
for others sent thence to the Society ;—the holding of period¬
ical meetings, and the publication of reports and transactions,
for the purpose of spreading knowledge of acclimatisation,
and inquiry into the causes of success or failure ;—the inter¬
change of reports, &c., 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; — tho conferring rewards, honorary or in¬
trinsically 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 the Society; and contributors, within one
year, of ten guineas or upwards shall be Life Members of the
Society; and any person who may render special services to
the Society, by contribution of stock or otherwise, shall be

1G

Subscrip¬

tions.

Property
vest in
Trustees

eligible for life membership, and may be elected as such by
the Council, or by any annual general meeting.

3. The annual subscription shall be payable on the 1st
day of January in each year, and may bo 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 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.

E ote • 5 - T1,e Socict y ' sba11 be governed by a Council of eighteen
Members, to include a President, two Vice-Presidents, and an
council. Honorary Treasurer, three of whom (viz., those who have
attended the fewest Meetings of the Council proportionately
since their appointment) shall retire annually, but shall be
eligible for re-election. Provided that if any sum of money
be voted to the Socicty by Act of Parliament, or trusts con¬
ferred upon the Council 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 as 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
further, that if the Melbourne Corporation, or any of the ad¬
jacent 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.

Vacancy in G. In case of a vacancy occurring by the death, resignation,
howsup- or non-attendance of any Member of Council for the period of
plled ' 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
Member, 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

17

of tho new Member to be proposed, and unless in the presence
of at least seven Members of the Council.

7. Tho Society shall hold periodical meetings, at which
papers and other communications relating to tho objects of “[ c ‘y° So '
the Society, and reports prepared by the Council, shall be
received, and such discussions shall be encouraged as may be

of value in propagating a knowledge of acclimatisation amongst
the 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 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 privilege of
introducing two friends at such meetings.

8. The Council shall meet at least once a month, and Meeting* of
three Members shall form a quorum, and be capable of
transacting the business of the Council, subject to such
limitations as may be imposed by any bye-law of tho
Council, or rule, or resolution of the Society, which may

bo hereafter made.

9. The Council shall have the sole management of the Po ^,^ 0 /
affairs of the Society, and of the income and property thereof, Council,
for the uses, purposes, and benefit of the Society; and shall

have tho sole and exclusive right of appointing a President,
Vice-Presidents, and Honorary Treasurer from amongst them¬
selves or the other Members of the Society, and also of ap¬
pointing paid servants, as a manager or 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 so to do, shall bring
the same under the notice of the Members of tho 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 tho Council, provided the

n

18

Minutes of
Proceed¬
ings.

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 bye-laws are to be
subject to ratification, or 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 occasion shall require, and to furnish reports of the
proceedings at every periodical and annual meeting of the
Society.

B deu^&c. 10 - The Societ y shaU hav e 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 purpose, and to
furnish any monthly or other reports.

11. Minutes shall be made, in books kept for the purpose,
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 the Members attending the same, and such
minutes shall bo open to inspection by any Member of the
Society at all reasonable times.

Moneys tobo 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 j 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 Council; and all cheques shall be signed
by the Treasurer as such, and be countersigned by the Presi¬
dent, or one of the Vice-Presidents, or by some other Member
of the Council delegated by the Council to act as such.

13. An annual meeting shall be held in or about
February of each year, and the Council shall report their
proceedings during the past year, and shall produce their
accounts, duly audited, for publication if deemed desirable •
and the meeting shall elect new Members of Council to supply
the vacancies therein. And notices of motion must be fur¬
nished to the Secretary one day previous to the holding of

Annual

Meeting.

19

such meeting, or such motions 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 Subscrip-

, tiona.

his restoration on the payment of such subscription as afore-
said, accompanied by satisfactory explanation.

15. Upon receiving a requisition in writing, signed by spedaiMeet
twelve or more Members of the Society, or upon a resolution Members,
of the Council, the President, or in his absence one of the
Vice-Presidents, shall convene a special meeting of the Mem¬
bers, to be held within fifteen days of the receipt by him of

such requisition or resolution. Provided always that such
requisition and resolution, and the notices thereunder conven¬
ing 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 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 Power to ai-
of the Society to alter, vary, or amend the rules; or to sub¬
stitute 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,
substitution, or new rule, shall have been given to the Secre¬
tary 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 not less than
two-thirds of the Members present at such meeting.

I

PROCEEDINGS

AT TUB

SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING,

Held March 12, 1808.

The President, Dr. Thomas Black, in the Chair.

The President, on talcing the chair, expressed his regret that
His Excellency the Governor was unavoidably prevented from being
present. He (the President) knew that His Excellency always took
a marked interest in the proceedings of the Society, and on more
than one occasion had rendered to it most valuable help. No one,
he felt sure, would more regret his absence than His Excellency him¬
self. He (the President) would not, however, detain the meeting
further at that time but would at once call upon the Secretary to
read the report.

The Secretary, Mr. Geo. Speigg, then read the Annual Report of
the Society. (See page 5.)

Professor M‘Coy moved the adoption of the Report and Balance-
sheet. He observed that the first paragraph of the Report explained
why the Society had been unable to do as much at it was desirous
of doing, or might have been expected to do during the past year.
The funds had been cut off to such an extent that even the wages of
the ordinary and necessary staff at the Royal-park, and the food of
the various animals kept in captivity at the different depots, had all
to be provided by funds raised on the personal guarantee of some
members of the Council. It was impossible to avoid this; but in
the ensuing year he had no doubt that the exertions of the Society
would result in some new substantial events, inasmuch as it was the
desire of the Council, who took the most active part in the manage¬
ment of the affairs of the Society, to expend their money and their
energies on a few species of useful birds and a few species of useful
quadrupeds, so that its operations might not be frittered away over a
number of objects. Among those animals likely to form the nucleus
of a new industry was the ostrich, for the introduction of which

21

into the colony, on a scale proper for giving the experiment a fair
trial, the Council has placed money in the hands of its agents in
Africa, and has had a great deal of correspondence with some of Her
Majesty’s Consuls in various countries, most ably and kindly aided
in this part of their labours by His Excellency Sir T. H. Manners-
Sutton, the patron of the Society. Important results might be
expected from the establishment of ostrich farms, such as the French
had found so profitable in Algeria. One of their correspondents,
Mr. Layaul, of Cape Town (who has purchased several for the
Society), stated that the profit of fanning ostriches in such a climate
as this, in enclosures of moderate size, and taking the feathers, which
was easily done at the proper period with due care, was something
immensely greater than that of any other kind of stock that could
be attended to with equally little expense and trouble. They all
knew that the climate was admirably suited for increasing the
number of ostriches, when the sexes were imported in good health
at a proper age ; and this in future might bo expected to be a really
important industry throughout the colony. Mr. Samuel Wilson
would be able to give them some information as to the Axis deer
which had been turned out on his extensive territory on the Wim-
mera. Many of the other kinds of deer, both from Europe and
India, liberated by the Society, were thriving in a way that was
perfectly marvellous. The great northern district of this island
continent' showed many resemblances to the southern portion of
Africa, and seemed to be excellently suited for the propagation in
great numbers of several of the antelopes of South Africa. Mr.
Layard, of Cape Town, had been in possession for some time of
funds from this Society, for the acquisition of several of the best of
their kind, of antelopes of the African plains and deserts, and the
fact that many ostriches and antelopes had not yet arrived was princi¬
pally duo to the difficulty of getting a ship directly from the Capo
to this port. The animals had been purchased and kept in confine¬
ment (our former patron. His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, aiding
in the charge and trouble of the safe-keeping of the Society’s pur¬
chases while waiting for a ship), and they would be sent off as soon
as a suitable vessel left the Cape. These antelopes would form
important articles of food to persons travelling through the northern
portion of the country, and would add much to the valuo of central
districts. A great number of birds had been liberated by the
Society, and they had thriven in a way that was unexpected by
many who thought that the rapacious birds of this country would
be destructive to them. But they found that the rapacious birds

22

and carnivorous quadrupeds were less destructive than in many other
countries of the world, and the result had proved that acclimatisers
would have veiy little difficulty of that kind to contend with. Those
who were desirous of seeing not only useful creatures, but also those
which might he considered ornamental, or might gratify a pleasant
predilection for singing birds, and field sports, had had their tastes
gratified by importations of skylarks and many others, chiefly
insectivorous birds, which would make the country more attractive
and pleasant, as well as usefully clear away destructive insects, even
if they were not of so much importance as the animals of which he
had been speaking.

Then, with regard to the efforts of the Society for the introduction
of useful fish, nothing could be more satisfactory than the success of
the attempt to introduce salmon, made by this Society in conjunc¬
tion with the Salmon Commissioners of Tasmania. Many scientific
men hazarded in various journals, both of England and the Conti¬
nent, a very positive opinion that it would be impossible to intro¬
duce any of the species of salmon successfully to the rivers of the
southern hemisphere. In this room even on former occasions many
objections were raised to the experiment of attempting to introduce
the salmon, such as a supposed deficiency of proper sustonant food
in the river ; or to great abundance of predacious fish, &c. These
objections were combatted at the time, and were now seen to have
really no such existence as should discourage the attempts of this
Society to introduce, not only the salmon, but the various kinds of
trout. In introducing the salmon, the Society was very much im¬
pressed with the importance of dealing in the first instance with one
of the sahnonidw which had the remarkable habit of returning to
the river in which it had been bred, and not any of those kinds
which, after the great trouble that had been taken in importing the
ova, would probably go to some, for us, inaccessible point instead
of returning to the river which they left. The Society was of
opinion that the experiment was more likely to be successful in
the first instauco in Tasmania than here, and accordingly all their
efforts, as well as the money so liberally voted by Parliament,
were disposed of in aid of the Salmon Commissioners of Tasmania,
from whom subsequently any number of ova might be obtained
to stock all suitable rivers in the colony. They had all
seen last year at the Exhibition a young salmon about ten inches
long of Tasmanian birth, in its return dress from the sea, and they
might therefore expect large numbers of fish, probably capable of
continuing their species at the present time. In the colony the

23

Society had met with an unexpected difficulty, to which it was as
well he should refer. Although it was illegal to spread nets at the
mouths of rivers, the society had received constant complaints that
this was habitually done. The Society wrote to the Commissioner of
Police, and made every effort to put the powers at the disposal • of
the Government for carrying out the law into operation, but they
were distinctly informed that it was impossible for the police to act
as gamekeepers. The salmon, or any other imported fish, must thus
run the risk of being taken by those nets which the Council received
information were spread almost every night at the mouths of rivers.
This was fatal to the establishment of salmon in these rivers,
unless the Society were provided with means for the employment of
water bailiffs. Having this difficulty in mind, as well as carrying
out the original intention of the Society with respect to the Sal-
monidee, the exertions of the Council had been directed to the intro¬
duction of the other members of the Salmonidas, that did not require
to go to sea, and that would inhabit the rivers, the reservoirs, and
the water holes, into which many of their rivers became converted
in the dry season— that was to say, the various kinds of trout.
When the funds flowed in their usual course again, the Society
would be enabled to stock the waters of the country with these non-
migratory Salmonidce, and the more important kinds of trout,
beginning with the more common English kinds.

The Society had exerted itself continually to introduce, and now
with some success, some large kinds of silkworm, which would pro¬
duce a silk without that great expenditure of labour which would
render ordinary sericulture with the common mulberry silkworm
unprofitable here— a sort of silk that would be useful for making up
ordinary clothes for wearing in hot parts of the country and such
as the Japanese, the Chinese, and the inhabitants of several parts of
India made their usual clothes of. The Society had been successful
in importing the Ailantus silkworm, one of the most valuable
characteristics of which was that it could be put upon the Ailautus
tree instead of keeping it in sheds and houses, and conveying leaves
to supply the worm, which would involve an amount of labour that
would render the production of ordinary silk in this country
unprofitable for many years. This large worm spun its cocoons
upon a conspicuous twig of the tree. They were collected without
much difficulty, and converted into cloth by ordinary cotton
machinery which tore up the silk instead of unwinding it. They
thus got the silk fabric with the least possible expenditure of
manual labour, and it was likely to becomo very useful to the

24

country. Dr. Black and himself had not yet conquered the diffi¬
culties of introducing the nearly allied castor-oil silkworm, but still
continued their endeavours, with every expectation of success. He
s louhl like to say a word in reference to the revival in this country
o the opinions held by members of the sparrow clubs, which some
years ago were so well caricatured in Punch, and other sensible
journals. Ikere was no doubt that the adult sparrow fed upon
£.rain ; that it was an excessively prolific bird, breeding a great
number of times in the year, and bringing forth a great number of
birds. There was no doubt that these young were fed entirely
upon grubs and other insects, which destroyed the produce of the
garden and the vineyard. In many parts of Europe and America
the common sparrow, and creatures congeneric with it, had over
and over again been protected by legislative enactments, after the
careful investigations of committees, scientific commissions, and of
persons able to judge of the matter. All the dissections and other
investigations on this subject showed that the good done by these
birds in destroying the grubs which infested gardens and fields,
infinitely exceeded the value of any little grain or seed which these
creatures might cat themselves. Many people seeing these birds
about, had jumped to the conclusion that any loss of fruit or grain
which they had sustained was to be attributed to the sparrows, and
it had even been suggested that sparrow clubs should be established
in this colony for their destruction. Now, on the continent of
Europe and m America these birds, and birds of a similar character
had been destroyed by the farmers, and had afterwards—he was
speaking on the authority of the great ornithologists Wilson and
Audubon-been re-introduced at great expense, and from the
painful experience forced upon the farmers that the insects
destroyed were infinitely more noxious than the birds themselves.

Professor M‘Coy concluded by moving the adoption of the report
and balance-sheet.

1 lie adoption of the report and balance-sheet was seconded by
Mr. C. M. Officer, and carried unanimously.

Mr. A. 11. <J. Sblwyn moved “that the appointment of Mr. L
J. Sherrard be confirmed, and that Messrs. F. G. Moule, C. M. Officer
and J. Towers, be elected to fill the vacancy in the Council.

This was seconded by Mr. G. 0. Levey, and carried unanimously.

On the motion of Mr. A. Purchas, seconded by Dr. Mueller
the date of the commencement of the Society’s financial year wal
altered from 1st September to 1st January.

25

Mr. Levey observed that the financial statement was only brought
down to August last, and asked what was the present condition of
the Society's finances.

The Secretary stated that the account was overdrawn at the Bank
to the extent of .£500, that the outstanding unpaid accounts
amounted to about £400, and that £2000 was due from the Govern¬
ment grant for 1867.

Mr. Levey :—Then the Society is perfectly solvent ?

The Secretary :—Yes, more than solvent.

The Chairman then said he had a few observations to make on the
Aim-ora goat, the introduction of which had so largely occupied both
the energies and funds of the Society. It was an animal which had
been found to answer admirably in our climate, and from the im¬
provement in the fleece which had already taken place, lie had no
doubt that before long the fleece of the Victorian Angora would
eclipse that of the goat in its native country, to quite as great an
extent as tho fleece of the Australian merino surpassed that of the
Spanish merino. In addition to the splendid flock, numbering up¬
wards of 200, now in the Royal Park, the Society had during the
past year scattered 70 male kids throughout the colony, with a view
to the amelioration of the common goat; and in order to show of what
importance this was, lie would beg the indulgence of the audieuco
wliilst-he read an extract from a pamphlet published some years ago
in Sydney, by Mr. W. E. Riley, a copy of which had been recently
sent to the Society by Mr. Alexander Riley, of Rondale, Gipp’s Land.

On the Advantage of Ameliorating the Common Goat, by Crossing
them with the Fare Angora Bucks.

« The milk of these animals, which M. Polonceau considers they
yield in greater abundance than any other of their species, furnishes
an excellent cheese, as also a very palatable butter, devoid of the
rank savour it obtains when made from the common goat.

“ According to a very minute analysis of the milk of the various
breeds, by M. Barruel, principal chemist to the Faculty of Medicine
of Paris ; it was fouud that the proportions of the Bulyraceous and
Caseous properties, were as follows

First Cross of the Common Gout with the pure Angora.

Butter ..

7.85

Cheese ..

. .

37.00

Saccharine matter

33.25

Extractive matter

. .

8.50

Water

913.40

1000.00

2G

The Common Goat of France.

Butter ..

5.00

Cheese ..

32.50

Saccharine matter

24.25

Extractive matter

7.50

Water ..

.. 930.75

1000.00

“ Content with food that the sheep or cow reject, and capable of
thriving on land, and in situations not adapted to other stock, the
Angora may be considered an interesting, as well as a valuable addition
to every farm ; and when the common goat can be replaced by a
variety possessing not only all their own ordinary qualities in a
superior degree, but also producing so desirable a material for
manufacture, lauded proprietors may be induced to consider the
propriety of acquiring them for their own merits, as well as for crossing
the whole of their at present comparatively useless breed with the
pure Angora races; and hereafter the wool of the goats of Australasia
may, if their improvement be pursued with any portion of the zeal and
perseverence with which they have ameliorated and .advanced the worth
of their flocks, become an additional and remunerating export, that
will annually increase in quantity and value, the benefit of which is
open to the participation of every agriculturist in the settlements.

“ Such an expectation may on its first view appear sanguine ; but
if the position bo correct, that the progressive prosperity of these
colonies maiidy depends on the quantity of exports they can pro¬
duce aud obtain, as means of remittance to Europe ;_then any

reasonable attempts to augment the source of their attainment
however humble in commencement, will not be thought unworthy
experiment how far their anticipated advantage can be realized •
and when it is contemplated what were the small number of sheep’
and how extreme was their inferiority until gradually improved by
judicious crossings, from which originated the vast flocks that now

cover the pastures, aud contribute to the revenues of the owners_

it will probably not be considered too assuming, to here express a
hope that the introduction of the animals which have caused the
present remarks, may in some minor proportion, ultimately contribute
to the united interests of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s
Land.’’

As a proof of the wool produced by the pure Angora, he would just
read the following paragraph taken from the “ Edinburgh Encyclo¬
pedia.”

“ The climate of Angora is dry and salubrious. It is celebrated
for a particular breed of goats, from whose fine hair the Angora
stuffs are manufactured. These goats exist only in a space of about
thirty miles round Angora. Their hair, which is about eight or
nine inches long, is formed naturally into tresses, aud is as fine as

27

silk Some of it is of such a superior kind, that it is a capital
crime to export it, as it is preserved to make camlets for the seraglio
of the Grand Signor. The common kind is employed in the fabri¬
cation of the camlets in the Levant, and in the best manufactories
of the same stuffs in Europe. No less than five or six hundred camel-
loads of this precious article are exported annually by the English,
French and Dutch, who have resident agents in tlio town. It is
transported in caravans to Smyrna, which is the emporium of Angora.
Several houses in Constantinople have established factors at Angora,
and carry on a very lucrative and extensive trade in this article.
The Turks will not allow the valuable hair of these animals to be
sent out of the country in a raw state, but in the form of thread,
as multitudes of the poorer classes obtain a livelihood by spinning it.
The population of Angora is about 101,000.”

Before sitting down he would wish to refer to one or two other
matters not touched upon in the'report, and the first thing he would
mention is, that Air. Gustave Beckx, who had been for many years
Belgian Consul at this port, and who had recently left to pay a visit
to his native country', had promised him (the Chairman) to do what
he could towards sending over to this country a shipment of night-
in''ales, and to those who, like himself, had so often listened to the
beautiful song of these birds, he felt sure that this statement would
be heard with great satisfaction, but whilst doing all that lay in their
power to beautify the country, the Society had always been most
attentive to the utilitarian purposes for which it was established, and
was ever on the look out to be of service to the agriculturists. With
this view, one or two attempts had been made to introduce the rook,
these had, however, from unavoidable causes, failed, and he (the
Chairman) had written a month or two since to Air. B. T. Firebrace,
asking him, during his stay in London, to take the matter in hand,
and he only hoped that he would be as successful with the rook as
he had been with the skylark.

One more statement, and he had done. He had that day been
informed, by a gentleman just returned from Tasmania, that the
salmon had been seen in the Derwent on their second return from the
sea some few days ago. Dr. Officer, in a letter to Dr. Alueller,
remarked that he had from his residence, at New Norfolk, observed
a considerable commotion in the river immediately opposite his house,
and from his experience of the indigenous fish in that river, felt
thoroughly convinced that it could be caused by nothing but the
salmon on their return from the sea. Since then this opinion has
been fully confirmed by other parties who have actually
seen the fish on their way up the river to the spawning ground ;

28

and in order that every person might be convinced, instructions
had been issued by the Government of Tasmania to tho
Salmon Commissioners to at once put the nets down so that a few
lish may be caught, and the first that were caught were to be sent to
their Excellencies the Governors of Victoria, New South Wales, and
Tasmania. This, ho felt sure, would be a source of pleasure to all
those who took an interest in the proceedings of the Society ; but to
his colleagues on the Council, many of whom had, like himself,
watched these experiments with intense interest for many years,
the gratification afforded by such a proof of success was great
indeed. lie felt it a duty he owed to the late highly esteemed pre¬
sident of the Society, Mr. Edward Wilson, for him not to sit down
without once more reminding the members of tho Society how greatly
they were indebted to that gentleman, whose interest in the cause of
acclimatisation continued unabated, and whose health he (the Chair¬
man) was pleased to say was greatly improved. He might also again
mention that it was to Mr. Edward Wilson the Society owed the
trout, which was succeeding so well in Tasmania, and to which the
Council looked to enable them to stock the reservoirs of this colony,
permission having been given by the Government exclusively to this
Society to undertake this important work.

Mr. Levey observed that statements had been made in the news¬
papers of the injury done to the fruit trees by the sparrows, and
wished to ask Professor M‘Coy whether there was any difference
between the habits of tho Chinese and English sparrow.

Professor M‘Coy stated that the Society had introduced two
species of sparrows—the house sparrow and what Mr. Levey had
referred to as tho Chinese sparrow. This latter is tho sparrow which
was termed in systematic books the tree sparrow. It was equally
English vptli the house sparrow, and was as abundant there, distin¬
guished by the brown colour of the head. It was, however, moro
widely distributed geographically, and it was more its habit to live in
hedge-rows and trees than in the vicinity of houses. lie had no
hesitation in saying that the injury done to fruit by them was abso¬
lutely insignificent compared with the benefit they did by feeding the
enormous numbers of their young almost exclusively upon grubs
and that the produce they thus saved in the vineyard aud the garden
was infinitely more important than any other material which they
used for food for themselves. The good they thus do is done all
through the year, and cannot be done so well by any other means.
Even tho little injury doue to ripe fruit, if proved against them, is

29

limited to a brief season, and might be prevented here, as at home, if
worth while, by a little cheap netting over the choicer kinds. The
proceedings of the French commission on the subject were some
years ago brought under his notice by Mr. Edward Wilson, and that
gentleman suggested that he should do what was done with such ex¬
cellent results by the French commission, viz., to have several birds
killed, and the contents of their stomachs exposed, so that the public
might examine them and satisfy themselves, by positive proof, as to
what they fed upon. From the investigations and dissections which
had taken place on the subject, he had no hesitation in saying that
the injury done by either one or other of these birds was insignificant,
and entirely unworthy of notice. There was no doubt that a great
proportion of the injury done to the fruit was done not by the
sparrows, but by native Australian birds frugivorous in their habits.
i\n esteemed member of this Society, Colonel Champ, had tested this
by watching the birds ; but the fact seemed to be overlooked by
those who spoke of the sparrows. He did not hesitate to affirm
that the visits of the graminivorous birds to fruit-bearing plants were
almost exclusively for the purpose of finding grubs for their young.

Mr. Selwyn mentioned a caso in which a gentleman who had
blamed the sparrows found, upon careful examination, that the injury
done to his fruit was caused by the native “ ring-eyes.”

The 'Rev. G. Mackie said he had proclaimed war against the
sparrows, but at the same time he esteemed very highly the work of
this noble Society. His experience was totally the reverse of Pro¬
fessor M‘Coy’s. He had watched the sparrows. He happened to
have an acre and a half of ground, orchard and shrubbery, around
the new church at South Yarra. In the beginning of the season the
church, being a Gothic one, attracted the sparrows, and they found
it an exceedingly comfortable homo. Ho first found that all tho
cherries were pierced. Ho had taken the precaution of personally
watching them, and he had seen as many as 250 of these imported
sparrows at the cherries. Out of about 1501b. weight of cherries which
were expected they only got Gib. However, forgetting the cherries,

he thought nothing more of the matter until the apricots came,
and theifthey had only about two or three dozen from trees that had
about 150. Then he found his vines covered with a green grub, and he
made it his business to see whether master sparrow touched them.
He did nothing of the kind. He took what was much better.
Then out of some dozen plum trees, with perhaps 300 plums upon
them, they did not get six pounds weight over the whole. He had

30

seen some four or five “ ring-eyes” among the birds, but the principal
depredators were sparrows and minas. If any gentleman came down
with him he could show them some one hundred bunches of what
were once grapes, but were now sucked dry. He did not wish to
annoy the Society, or to do anything to interfere with its operations
but he must say this, and stand upon it—that he believed Professor
M‘Coy himself would be convinced if ho saw one of these sparrows
shot, that they ate other things than grubs. He also wished to say
that tomatoes and peas were very greedily devoured by the sparrow.

The Chairman said he was exceedingly sorry to hear the account
just given by the rev. gentleman. T here could be no doubt that the
sparrow was to a certain extent graminivorous, but there could also
be no doubt that the young birds were fed entirely on grubs and larvaj
Buffon, the celebrated French naturalist, estimated that each pair of
sparrows destroyed 4000 grubs in a week, and this statement was fully
Confirmed by the personal observation of an equally high authority, he
alluded to Professor M‘Coy, professor of Natural History at the
Melbourne University. Although he had large flocks of sparrows at
his house, he found that by scattering a little wheat on the ground
his fruit was never touched.

The Rev. G. Mackie stated that his children had been constantly
feeding the sparrows with grain, but that did not prevent them
touching the fruit.

Mr. Routledge said, if the rev. gentlemen lived in the Western
District, where he was, he would be more generous to the sparrows.
They would be very glad to have a number of them there. He
might mention, for the gentleman’s information, that if he got a
hundredweight of rapeseed and scattered it about, it would feed the
sparrows, and would prevent them touching his fruit much. In
the Western District he had seen all the fruit eaten by native birds
and he for one would much rather see the fruit eaten by sparrows
than by the other birds.

The subject then dropped.

Mr. Samuel Wilson, in moving a vote of thanks to the Chair¬
man, said he wished to make a few remarks about the Axis deer
liberated by the Society on the Wimmera. He had to report that they
were doing very well indeed. They were now spread over a large tract
of country. He had undoubted proof that some of them had now
reached the Grampians, Mr. Playford, of Stawell, having written to
inform him of having seen one close to Mount Dryden, a spur of
the Grampian Range, being about thirty miles distant from Lon-

gerenong, where the deer were liberated. Mr. Holt had informed
him also that he had seen them on Swinton station, about twenty
miles from Longerenong. They were now spread over an area repre¬
sented by a circle about fifty miles in diameter. It was difficult, as
may be expected, to estimate their number. He thought there were
now from fifty to sixty head. He was happy to report that he had
not heard of any instance of an attempt to kill or injure any of
them. It is to the credit of the Wimmera district, that the experi¬
ment of acclimatising these beautiful creatures had been allowed a
fair trial. If the same consideration and protection be afforded by
the public for a few years more, the establishment of the Axis deer
in the Wimmera district will be undoubtedly successful.

He might also mention that it had only been ascertained with
certainty in the past winter that the Murray cod, which were
placed in the Wimmera five years ago, had become acclimatised
in its waters, two fine fish, weighing 15)b. and lGlb. respectively,
having been caught. One of these contained a large quantity of
spawn, showing that they were likely to thrive and increase
in their new location. The time that has elapsed since
they were brought to the Wimmera before any certainty
of their succeeding could be known, was an instance of how
long results have to be waited for in attempts to acclimatise any¬
thing valuable. As a further instance of this, the Murray lobster,
which was placed by him in the waters of the Wimmera and Rich¬
ardson rivers about four years ago, had not yet been heard of. Out
of six dozen, only one or two perished in transit, leaving about
seventy to stock the rivers referred to. As these were lively, many
of them spawning fish, he had still every hope of their success.

It was of interest to some members of the Society to know
that young specimens of the gold or silver fish, now caught in largo
numbers in the Yarra, may be carried alive without difficulty to any
part of the colony. On his last journey to the Wimmera, he took
about two dozen of these fish, each about two inches in length. lie
carried them in a porous earthenware water cooler, and changed the
water frequently. He got them safely transferred to the Wimmera
waters with a loss of only about one-fourth of the number, lhoy were
carried six miles of the distance on horseback. Was it not possible
that the fry of more valuable species of fish might be in this way
distributed over the colony 1

Dr. Mueller, in seconding the vote of thanks to the Chairman,
remarked, that he had enjoyed the colleagueship of Dr. Thomas

32

Black, on the Council of tho Acclimatisation Society, and before
at the Zoological Committee for a scries of years, and that he felt
from this long observation how much their thanks were due to Dr.
Black, in devoting so large a share of his time to those interests which
brought them together in the acclimatisation cause, and that while we
shared his animated zeal for that cause, perhaps none of his colleagues
at the Council were placed in so happy a position to be able to freely
dispose of his time, still it might be remembered that time might be
devoted by Dr. Black to tho enjoyment among the numerous des-
cendents of his flourishing family in the evening of his life, which
they all trusted would be a long and serene one. He wished also to
record, that to Dr. Black the palm of credit was due, in having
induced the Acclimatisation Council to introduce the valuable
Angoras in masses into this country, where they had proved in hot
and grassless districts even to thrive well. He would on this occasion
also desire to pay a tribute of acknowledgment to a gentleman,
who nearly ten years ago had, at considerable sacrifices, brought the
first seven Angoras to this country, and thus drew early our atten¬
tion to their value, that gentleman being Mr. Sichel, a merchant of
this city.

The President, in returning thanks, stated that one of the grand
objects of tho Society was to provide varied food and sport for the
people of this colony, and remarked that only last week he had, in
compauy with Messrs. Sherwin, Godfrey, aud Purchas, liberated on
the Plenty Ranges several young English pheasants, raised at the
Royal Park, also some Indian jungle fowls and guinea fowls.

A\ ith reference to what had fallen from Mr. Wilson, regarding the
Murray cod-fish, he was glad to be able to say that the cod-fish
placed in the Yan Yean reservoir four years ago, at his instance, had
increased, and several large fish had recently been caught. He
believed that we were on the eve of great discoveries in the science
of fish culture, and considering that fish had been known to live in a
frozen state for several days, he thought it not at all impossible
that we might live to see living salmon and other fish brought out
to these colonies from Europe aud America, in a frozen state. By
the next mail he intended to write to Dr. Buckland, in London,
suggesting that this experiment should be tried.

LIST OF ANIMALS

In the Royal Park and Botanical Gardens, Melbourne.

12 Llama alpacas

3 Pure alpacas
12 Ceylon elks

6 Hog deer

4 Manilla deer

C Barasingha deer

5 Formosa deer

6 Nylghau

0 Brahmin cows

1 Zebra

2 Cashmere goats
203 Angora goats

3 Barbary sheep

12 Silver grey rabbits
2 St. Bernard dogs
f> Kangaroos
0 Wallaby

4 Opossum*

4 Wombats
6 Monkeys

1 Agouti

2 Indian porcupines
2 Moorukes

2 Madagascar deer
2 Bat-avian deer
2 Madagascar sheep
6 Ostriches

18 Canaries
18 Blackbirds
24 Thrushes

10 Hares
5 Cape pheasants
8 English pheasants

4 Indian pheasants
8 Ceylon partridges

5 Indian partridges

5 Curasaows
0 Ceylon wild peafowl

5 English peafowl
2 Golden pheasants

1(J Silver pheasants
• 11 Indian jungle fowl

20 English pheasants
2 Indian pheasants
4 Madagascar quail
4 Californian quail
2 Algerine sand grouse
4 White swans
4 Canadian geese
it Egyptiangeeee

6 Guinea geese

4 Indian bar headed
geese

2 Indian grey geese
30 English wild ducks
2 Mandarin ducks
2 Bahama ducks
0 Carolina ducks
8 Call ducks

2 Tree ducks

4 Paradise ducks

3 Shod ducks

12 East Indian ducks

ANIMALS LIBERATED. '
At the Botanical Gardens.

I G California quail

GO English wild ducks
j 35 Java sparrows

At Phillip Island,
i

4 Chinese partridges I
70 Chinese quail
23 Tasmanian quail
0 Starlings

10 Algerine sand grouse I
G Wild ducks

2 Macaws

12 Fancy pigeons
4 Crowned goura pigeons
12 Grey Indian doves

3 Green Indian doves
(J .Manilla doves

2 Brazil doves

2 Emeus

12 Black swans

1 Native bustard

3 Curlews

6 Eagle hawks

2 8mall hawks

3 Owls

1 Tiger cat

2 Cardinal birds
2 Secretary birds
0 Indian finches

G Rockhampton finches
12 Linnets
14 Canaries

18 Finches of various
kinds

1 Badger

2 Tasmanian devils
1 Tasmanian wolf

4 English robins
8 Turtle doves
50 Mainas

5 Pheasants
(J Skylarks
(j California quail
4 Thrushes
4 Blackbirds
1 Pair white swans

At Sandstone and Churchill Islands.

4 Pheasants

i

4 Skylarks

| 4 Thrushes

6 Thrushes

At Yarra Bend.

1

4 Skylarks

» Thrushes

1

Near Kyd.net.

4 Skylarks

| 10 Blackbirds

5 Ceylon elk

At Scoarloaf Hill.

1

3 Axis deer

At Wilson’s Promontort.
4 Axis door

C

34

4 Hares
20 Mainas
6 Starlings
60 English sparrows
40 Chaffinches

12 Hog deer

12 Goats
S Geese

10 Pheasants.

74 Kangaroos

5 Mountain ducks
200 Murray codfish

22 Black swans
20 Australian quail
14 Eagle hawks
85 Magpies

4 Rosella parrots

C King parrots

6 Cockatoos
6 Dlngos

3 Talegallas

20 Emeus
30 Kangaroos
12 Black swans

3 Cape Barren geeso
1 South Australian

wombat

4 Native geeso

2 Kangaroos

3 Black swans

At tub Uoyal Park,
2 Thrushes
20 Greenfinches
16 Yellowhammera
200 Java sparrows

At Buneep.

13 Fallow deer
At Cate Liptrap.

4 Ceylon peafowls
10 Pigeons

At Auckland Islands.
12 Rabbits
3 Pigs

At Wksteunport.

7 Samburdeer

At Wimmera.

35 Axis deer
At Yering.

5 Axis deer
At Plenty Ranges.

| 4 Jungle fowls. |

ANIMALS SENT AWAY.
To London.

20 Watcrhens
4 Kangaroo rats
10 Wombats
2 Cranes

7 Wood ducks

2 Kangaroo dogs
4 Echidna

26 Laughing jackasses
40 Shell parrots
6 Malice pheasants
30 Lowry parrots
12 Opossums

To Paris.

3 Curlews

1 Native crane

8 Murray turtles

2 Wombats

17 Australian quail

4 Laughing jackasses

2 Bronze-wing pigeons

To St. Petersburg.

2 Laughing jackasses
2 Wallabies

C Blackbirds
20 Siskin finches
6 Powi birds
3 Partridges
6 Pheasants

20 Java sparrows

4 Guinea fowl

6 Fowls
3 Ducks

7 Guinoa fowls.

40 Black ducks
40 Teal

22 Wonga pigeons
31 Bronze-wing pigeons
8 Swamp magpies

2 Iguanas

7 Land rails
4 Sugar squirrels

3 Coots

6 Native companions
Some Yarra fish

8 Goatsuckers
2 Native companions
14 Rockhampton finches
1 Iguana
4 Opossums
20 Black ducks
20 Teal

3 Emous

At Pentridge.

40 English sparrows
At St. Hilda.

20 Chinese sparrows

At Ballaakat.

25 English sparrows |

3 Water hens

To Amsterdam.

I

6 Australian quail

35

To Rotterdam.

2 Cape Barren geeso | 2 Water hens

TO HAMBURGH.

2 Wonga pigeons
2 Black swans

2 Black swans
2 Black geese

24 Black swans
12 Emeus
2 Eagles

G White cockatoos
7 King parrots

2 Black swans

1 Kangaroo

2 Capo Barren gecso

2 Bronze-wing pigeons

To Cologne.

2 Curlews

To Copenhagen.
2 Black swans

To Calcutta.
15 Rosella parrots
10 Kangaroos
4 Opossums
1 Dingo

1 Wombat

To Mauritius.

2 Eagle hawks
9 Fowls

7 Magpies

To Bourbon.

8 Black swans

2 Kangaroo rat

2 Water lions

G Bronze-wing pigeons
G Laughing jackasses
20 Shell parrots
52 lijagpies

2 Laughing jackasses
4 Wallabies

To Sicily.

G Black swans | 14 Native Ducks

To Rangoon.

0 Black Swans

2 Black swans |

2 Black swans |

2 Angora goats
2 Brush kangaroos
2 Silver pheasants
2 Canadian gecso
2 Egyptian geese

1 Angora goat

2 Blackbirds

To Java.

2 Capo Barren geeso

To Burtknzong.
2 Capo Barren gecso
To Sydney.

G English wild ducks
1 Malice hen
10 Blackbirds
10 Thrushes

To Adelaide.

2 Tli rushes

3 English pheasants

To Hobart Town.

| 1 Kangaroo

| 1 Kangaroo

4 Larks
4 Starlings
2 Ortolans
2 Sparrows

2 Silver pheasants

1 Angora goat

9 Native bears

3 Thrushes

To New Zealand.
G Magpies

4 Opossums

REPORT

OF TUB

SALMON COMMISSIONERS OF TASMANIA.

18 th September, 1807.

To His Excellency Colonel Thomas Goee Beowne, C.B., Captain-
General and Qoventor-in-Chief of the Island of Tasmania
and its Dependencies.

May it pi.ease youb Excellency.

In their last Report the Commissioners had the satisfaction of in¬
forming Your Excellency that from the last importation of salmon and
trout ova which arrived at Melbourne from England on hoard the Lin¬
colnshire on the 1st of May, 1866, reached Hobart Town by the Victoria
steamship on the 5th, and on the tith of the same month were safely
deposited in the ponds at the Plenty, they had succeeded in hatching
6000 of the former and 1000 of the latter fish.

They have now the further pleasure of reporting that, during the year
that has since elapsed, these young iisli have continued to thrive and
grow in a most satisfactory manner, with a very small amount of
observed mortality.

The season is now close at hand when many of these parr will begin
to assume the garb of smelts, preparatory to their first visit to the salt
water, when they will he set at large to join their elder relatives now
in the Derwent, and left to their own resources.

These older fish set out on then- journey seaward in the month of
October, 1865 ; and, doubtless, the younger brood will take their depar¬
ture about the same period of the present year.

Of the salmon trout it is proposed to detain a portion in the ponds,
in the hope that their numbers may be increased by propagation, as the
Commissioners have been assured on high authority they may be, with¬
out visiting tin; salt water.

But the object which has for some lime past engaged the chief
attention and occupied the anxious thoughts of the Commissioners has
been the return of some of the brood of 180-1 from the sea to the
Derwent.

The first detachment of these, as has just been mentioned, left the
ponds in the form of smolts in October, 1865; and, according to the
opinion of many eminent pisciculturists, a portion of them ought to have
returned from the sea about the end of the same or the beginning of the
following year, after an absence of from two to four months.

Not one, however, as far as the Commissioners are aware, was seen,
or even reported to have been seen, in the Derwent about that period.
Upon this merely negative and superficial evidence, however, the
Commissioners cannot take upon themselves to say that none returned.

It is quite possible that considerable numbers of them may have been
present in the river without having been observed by any one; for a

37

thousand fish in such a stream as the Derwent might pass and repass
without attracting notice.

Of this fact the Commissioners were strongly warned by the late
lamented Mr. Ffcnnel, chief inspector of English salmon fisheries, who
admonished them not to bo disappointed or discouraged if no salmon
should be seen in the first year of their migration and return.

And, undoubtedly, the return of the salmon was far more confidently
and generally looked for in the beginning of the present than of the
previous year, so that the eyes of many deeply interested in the under¬
taking, including Mr. Ramsbottom, the indefatigable superintendent of
the salmon breeding establishment, w T ere directed to the waters of tho
Derwent with more constant and more earnest attention during the
latter than the former season.

In the month of January of tho present year some large and strange
fish, never lie fore observed by them, were seen to leap in tho Derwent,
opposite the town of New Norfolk, by several residents of the liiglicst
respectability; but ns various kinds of salt water fish occasionally visit
tins part of the river, although far inferior in size to a salmon or a
grilse, and of which none have ever been known to rise above the
surface of the water, the Commissioners refrained from drawing any
positive conclusion from these observations, although the parties by
whom they were made and reported were worthy of every trust.*

But on the 14th February unquestionable evidence of the presence of
the returned salmon in the river was afforded by a party of gentle-
menf of the first standing in the community, by whom, whilst riding
close along the bank of tho Derwent, near a place called the “ Dry
Creek,” several miles beyond the reach of the tide, and above several
rapids, a largo fish was twice seen to leap from the water, which was
afterwards observed gliding under the surface for some distance, and was
at onco recognized as a salmon by one of the party familiarly acquainted
in Ireland with the appearance and motions of that fish.

On tho 21st February, two miles above the spot last mentioned, a
largo fish was seen leaping by a respectable tradesman, while driving
alon" the road which runs close to the bank of the river.

On the 28th, at a spot a mile still further up the stream, a gentleman
passing along on horseback, and one of the Water Bailiffs attached to
the establishment, simultaneously, and from opposite hanks of the river,
saw a large fish leaping, which the latter, an old salmon fisher from
Scotland, at once identified as a salmon or grilse.

On the 15th March, Mr. Kamsbottora, the experienced superintendent
of the ponds, and a salmon fisher from liis earliest years, having been
informed by the Water Bailiff that at a place a short way below the
mouth of the Plenty he had seen a great commotion in the Derwent
apparently caused by great numbers of small native fry pursued by
Borne large fish, stationed himsell on tho bank of the stream at the spot
indicated, and soon after distinctly saw a salmon or grilse rise from the
water.

On tho 18th March the same gentleman, his assistant, and a
friend \ from New Norfolk visited the same part of the river, and in
the course of a few hours in the afternoon wore rewarded by witnessing
seven distinct rises.

On the 1st April, one of the Commissioners,§ accompanied by two

* Mrs. Sharland, Miss Kirkpatrick, and Mr. Oakley.

t Right Rev. Dr. Murphy, Rev. Air. Dunne, ltev. Dr. Ilaycs of Melbourne, Rev. Mr.
Hennebroy. J Dr. Moore. § Dr. Oftiocr.

38

friends,* took liis station an hour before sunset, near the same spot,
but on tlie bank of the stream opposite to that from which Mr. Rams-
bottom and others had made their observations. Scarcely had he and
his companions directed their eyes to the surface of the stream when
they perceived that it was in a state of unusual agitation, which they
quickly discovered was caused by shoals of small fry skimming along
the surface in their endeavour to escape from some large fish by which
they were closely pursued, and whose track close behind them was
plainly seen. The character of the pursuers was soon revealed to the
beholders by two great fish which in rapid succession rose from the
water, fully exposing their glittering bodies to view, and proclaiming
themselves to be real salmon. This scene of flight and pursuit con¬
tinued to bo enacted for upwards of an hour, not in one spot only, but
in several places simultaneously over a considerable extent of the river,
and terminated only with the setting of the sun. During these observa¬
tions the large dorsal fin of one of the pursuing fish was distinctly seen
rapidly cleaving the water, while another was observed for a few
moments reposing close under the surface.

Again on the 3rd and on the 5tli April salmon were distinctly seen in
the same part of the river by Mr. llamsbottom and one of the Commis¬
sioners,) and another gentleman.^

This portion of the Derwent in which the salmon have been thus
observed to such advantage, and where they had evidently congregated
in considerable number's, consists of a reach of deep still water four or
five huudred yards in length, hounded at each extremity by a rapid
which at the lower end passes over a fine bed of gravel, likely, in
Mr. Ramsbottom's opinion, to he selected by the salmon as a suitablo
place for forming their nests and depositing their ova. and is in close
proximity to the mouth of the Plenty (their parent home), into which
there was every reason to expect that some of them would enter for the
purpose of shedding their spawn.

The progress of the salmon has thus been clearly traced from New
Norfolk to the mouth of the Plenty,—a space following the courso of the
Derwent of upwards of eight miles in length.

But the instances above related by no means embrace all the
occasions on which the salmon have been soon in the river. The fisli
do not appear to have passed up the stream in one body; for, after
their appearance in the Derwent at the various points above indicated,
they have been subsequently seen at several places between the Plenty
and New Norfolk, show ing that they did not travel in one body, but by
detachments, or in a continuous stream.

Near a place called “ Bell's Terrace,” close to New Norfolk, where a
fine gravel bed exists, the fish were seen on various occasions by more
than one observer); long after their appearance near the Plenty. The
last known occasion on which the salmon have been observed occurred
on Sunday, the 21st April, when two were seen to leap from the water
in a very distinct and striking manner by the same Commissioner to
whom they had before exhibited themselves in so satisfactory a manner,
near the mouth of the Plenty, and by another gentleman || at precisely
the same spot where they had first been noticed on their return from
the salt water.

Soon after the date last mentioned the winter season set in, and the
Derwent became considerably flooded, in which condition it has since

* Mr. and Mrs. Styles Patterson. t R. C. Road, Esi|., J.P. { Dr. Moore.
§ Sir. and Sirs. Shoobridjo and others. || Major Lloyd.

39

more or less continued, thus precluding all hope of any of the fish
being seen in its waters without capture.

The salmon have shown no disposition to enter tire Plenty for the
purpose of finding a spawning ground, but have preferred to remain
in the larger stream of the Derwent, towards the sources of which, as in
European rivers, they have probably proceeded in search of a suitable
locality as the birthplace of their young.

Had some of the fish, as expected, entered the Plenty, their capture
would have been easy, and the Commissioners would thus have been
enabled, in accordance with then - anxious desire, to have added the
proof of handling to that of seeing.

They believe, however, that the evidence of the return of the salmon
as above recorded is complete and irrefragable, and must soon be
confirmed by their actual cajituro, for which the Commissioners have
been furnished with all necessary appliances.

If the opinion that a portion of the first body of smolts that proceed
to the sea return as grilse within a period of from two to four months
from the date of their departure he correct, it follows that some of the
fish now in the Derwent have already twice visited the sea ; and that
those seen in the river during the past seven months comprised both
grilse and salmon.

And if a part of the young smolts that set out on their second journey
in October, 1605, thus returned during the siunmer and autumn of
I860, they must also have spawned during the winter of that year, aud
their young must now be in the Derwent hi the shape of parr, ready in
a month hence to assume the character of smolts, and in their turn to
seek a temporary sojourn in the salt water.

But, even if this view should be incorrect, and all the young fish
should have remained in the salt water for sixteen months, instead of
from two to four months, there can be no doubt that a large number of
ova have been deposited in the present season soon to become living
fish, and add many thousands to the family now occupying the river.

When the Commissioners shall have been enabled to introduce the
salmon into some of the smaller rivers of the colony, such as the South
Esk, the Mersey, and many others, they will have no difficulty in
ascertaining with accuracy tho exact period of the stay of these fish in
the salt water, thus solving a question which lias long been, and still is,
a subject of contention among pisciculturists.

The Commissioners believe that there arc few rivers approaching the
size of the Derwent where so small a number of enemies dangerous to
the life of tho yomig salmon arc to ho found. Eels, and the small fish
locally called mullet, which seldom attain a weight of more than half a
pound with some predaceous birds, are the only foes against which they
will have to contend in the fresh waters of that stream.

With respect to the mullet, it is a singular and perhaps fortunate fact
that, although they had previously been abundant in all parts of the
Derwent above the influence of tho tide, in the year 1865 they almost
totally disappeared from the river and its tributaries.

In that year the Commissioners reported that a disease of an
epidemic character had appeared in the ponds, by which from 50 to
60 young salmon and a few of the trout were carried off, aud that a
great number of the native muUett had at the same tune perished
apparently from tho same cause. It was afterwards discoveied that this
malady had operated so severely ou the native fish that the mullet had
almost entirely disappeared from the river, and a few stragglers of

40

small size could alone be seen. More lately they have shown somo
signs of recovery and increase, hut; they are still comparatively few in
number mid of small size, and cannot bo dangerous to the young
salmon, of which they are more likely to be the prey.

The llenvent from New Norfolk, a short way below which the water
begins to be brackish to Hobart Town, where it is quite salt, including
the numerous intervening bays, so teems with the fry of various kinds
of fish, greatly increased since the passing of the Salmon Act, that
a vast number of salmon would find abundance of suitable food without
proceeding further to sea. llelow Hobart Town to the mouth of tlio
liver in Storm Bay, such is the expanse of water abounding with
the young of an infinite variety of fish, that it scorns improbable that
the salmon will ever have occasion to pass into and incur the dangers
of the open ocean, unless prompted by some other motive than mere
hunger.

During the past year an incident occurred in the history of our
young salmon which excited considerable interest both here and in
England.

A fine smolt was captured by a young gentleman* while fishing for
the small native fish in the New Town Creek near the Orphan School,
and was with much judgment transmitted to one of the Commissioners f
with a statement of the facts attending its capture. This fish must
have very recently descended the Derwent from the vicinity of its
birthplace on the banks of the Plenty, and having reached New Town
Bay after a, journey of upwards of 30 miles, a considerable portion
of the way through salt water, had again sought fresh water, and
entered the little stream above mentioned, up which it had passed
nearly two miles. The chief point of interest in the history of this
little fish consists in the fact that, having entered the salt water, it had
again sought the fresh water while still in tho condition of a smolt.

This occurrence having been reported to Mr. Yonl, was by him
communicated to the eminent pisciculturist, Mr. Frank Buckland, who
has assigned a conjectural reason for the apparent eccentricity in the
behaviour of this young traveller.

Nor has the progress of the trout under the charge of the Commis¬
sioners been less gratifying than that of the salmon.

In the month of June, 186(1, these fish, being then about two years
old, began to shed their first spawn, and during the course of tho
season several thousand of their ova were secured, which, after being
duly fecundated, were placed in the hatcliing-boxes attached to the
ponds.

One portion of these ova was subsequently despatched to Melbourne
for the use of the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria ; another was
forwarded to Launceston to the eare of an association of gentleman
which had been formed with the object of promoting tho early stocking
of tho rivers of the northern division of tho colony with salmon and
trout; and tho remainder were retained in the ponds for hatching,
under Mr. Ramsbottom's observation.

The result of this first attempt to propagate fish from ova produced
in tho colony was unfortunate.

The hatching-boxes prepared for the reception of the ova forwarded
to Victoria, having been erected on a spot which proved to be subject to
inundation, were shortly afterwards with their contents swept away
by a flood.

* Master XI. V. Bayley.

t Mr. M. Allport.

41

Of those despatched to Launceston, although conveyed hy Mr.
Eamsbottom in person, a large number perished on the way. From
the remainder only a few living trout were produced, and these, after
attaining a considerable size, were, as in Victoria, carried away hy an
overflow of the stream near which hatcliing-hoxes had been con¬
structed: from those retained under Mr. Bamsbottom's immediate
charge about 40 young trout only have been obtained, which will to
that extent add to the number of breeding fish for the season of ltdiS.

A largo share in this unproductiveness is attributable to causes which
arc now understood, and will not be allowed to influence future
attempts to increase the number of this fish.

During the past year many of the parent trout detained in the ponds,
and still more those at large in the Plenty, have increased in size and
weight at a surprising, and the Commissioners believe unprecedented,
rate.

In June last a male trout was found dead in the Plenty, evidently
killed in an encounter with some of its associates during the exciting
season of spawning, which measured 1!)£ inches in length, and weighed
3£ pounds.

On the 29th July last another was captured alive by Mr. llamsbottom,
of which the length was 22 } inches, and the weight fully 4 pounds,
although the lish was then in a spent and consequently lean condition,
haying but recently shed its milt. If in full condition, Mr. llamsbottom
estimates that the weight of this fish would have been between 5 and (i
pounds.

Many others have been seen in the Plenty of similar dimensions, and
some ol those confined m the ponds are little inferior to them: although
the trout set at liberty m the river and left to provide for themselves
have always been somewhat in advance of then- brethren imprisoned in
the ponds, where they have been carefully and diligently fed.

The trout thus greatly increased in size began to spawn for the second
time in the rivulet attached to the pond on the 23rd June; and, at the
same time, some of those at large in the adjoining river were observed
busily engaged in forming their nests and depositing their ova.

The season of spawning extended over a period of about six weeks.
—terminating on the Oth August.

On this occasion the fish were permitted to deposit a large portion of
their spawn in the natural way, the remainder only bein'* taken for
artificial propagation.

While the spawning was going on the parent fish readily passed from
the pond into the rill; and, when the operation was completed, a con¬
siderable extent of the little stream was to be seen thickly studded with
their nests. Before the spawning began, Mr. Eamsbottom had erected
a temporary wooden screen close to the bank of the rivulet, from behind
which the whole interesting process was watched by him, and clearly
seen by some of the Commissioners and many other visitors, without
disturbing the fish during their operations.

Although a largo portion of the ova were left undisturbed in the
gravel in which they were deposited by the parent fish, the number of
ova obtained for artificial hatching exceeds the total produce of the
preceding season.

From the store thus obtained about 1,300 have been despatched to
the care of the Victorian Acclimatisation Society in Melbourne, which,
with a loss of about 25 per cent., are now in a thriving and promising
condition in the pond prepared for their reception.

D

42

A supply of aliout 800 have also been placed in the hands of Mr.
Johnson, Secretary to the Acclimatisation Society of Christchurch in
Now Zealand, whom the Council of the Society had judiciously
despatched to this colony for the purpose of receiving in person the
contribution promised to them. Mr. Johnson at the same time took
charge of a smaller supply, 400 in number, for the use of the kindred
society in the neighbouring Province of Otago.

From both of these provinces liberal contributions in aid of the enter¬
prise in which tills colony is engaged has been received.

A fish pond, with liatching-boxes attached, has been formed during
the present year on the estate of Strathmore, on the South Esk,
under the direction of Mr. Charles M*Arthur, who has long taken a
warm interest in the establishment of saLmon and trout in Tasmania,
and took a lending part in the attempt of last year, unfortunately un¬
successful, and of Mr. Cox, of Clarendon.

1 ids spot was last year inspected by Mr. Bamsbottom, who pronounced
it admirably adapted to the purposes of fish culture, and a convenient
centre from which the means of stocking the other rivers in the North
might be supplied.

Concurring with Mr. Eamsbottoin's views on this subject, and having
received an assurance and guarantee that they would be tended with
all necessary care and attention, 1,200 ova were lately handed over to
Mr. M‘Arthur, who had come in person to receive them, and have been
t<y that gentleman safely conveyed to their destination, and placed in the
hatching-boxes at Strathmore, with the most trilling loss.

The ova thus supplied have been received by Mr. M‘Arthur and Mr
Cox on the distinct understanding that they were a public and not a
private charge, and that the future disposition of their produce should
be under the control of the Commissioners.

The Commissioners conceive that; from a centre such as that now
established at Strathmore, when fully stocked, the other rivers of the
north may bo stocked much more conveniently and inexpensively, and
with less waste of ova. than from the ponds of the Plenty.

In the meantime, and until this source becomes productive, the Com¬
missioners will he prepared, to the utmost of their ability, to furnish the
supplies for other approved localities, as well in the north as in the
south, where they are assured that adequate means for the due hatching
of the ova and the preservation of their produce have been provided b

During the ensuing summer the Commissioners propose to place a
small body of young trout iu the North West Bay River, which lias all
the attributes of a tine trout stream, and to which they can be conveyed
by water with facility and safety.

Since the date of their last report, the Commissioners have made
several inexpensive improvements in the establishment of the Plenty,
of which the most important have been the completion of the small
pond therein referred to, and the formation of a new rill, rendered
necessary by the addition of the salmon trout to their charge.

During the ensuing summer some further extensions of the same ldnd
will be required.

Although the water bailiff stationed at the Prince of Wales Bay has
been indefatigable in his endeavours to prevent poaching, there is
reason to believe that during the past year the law has.in some instances
been violated: and the Commissioners are of opinion that it will he
necessary, for the due protection of the salmon, at no distant date to
appoint an additional bailiff'.

43

Tlie temptation to poaching lias become greatly augmented by the
vast increase that has taken place in the number of small fish that now
swarm in the Derwent between New Norfolk and Hobart Town, due
to the protection afforded to them by the operation of “ The Salmon
Act. And the prohibition of all fishing in this part of the river is not
more necessary for the safety of the salmon than it is conducive to the
real interest of the fishermen of the Derwent.

That portion of the riverwhick lies between Bridgewater and Hobart
Town is the natural nursery in which various kinds of fish, usually
inhabiting the deeper water below, deposit their spawn, and from which
their numbers are recruited from year to year.

Tho meshes of the nets used by the fishermen are so minute that the
fish of tho very smallest size arc captured and destroyed, and are thus
effectually prevented from descending into the deeper waiter below the
city, where they would speedily attain a far greater size and value.

The breeding establishment "at the Plenty has from its first erection
been an object of great interest and attraction, yearly increasing, not
only to the public of Tasmania, but to visitors from all tho adjoining
colonies. The Commissioners trust that at no distant period, they will
bo able to calculate the time when the existing attractions may be in¬
creased by granting permission to use the rod and line.

At the request of the Commissioners the Government instructed the
Surveyor-General to cause a drawing and plan of the salmon ponds to
be prepared ; and this work has boon admirably performed by some of
the officers of the department, tho survey having been executed by Mr.
Morrison, and the drawing by Mr. Piguenet.

The former it is proposed to hang in somo public place for general
inspection. Of the lat ter a considerable number of excellent lithographs
have been executed under tho direction of the Surveyor-General, which
will bo generally circulated, and will afford information respecting the
plan and construction of the whole breeding establishment, which have
long been sought for, not only by tho people of this and the adjoining
colonics, but by many eminent pisciculturists in England, who have been
watching with much interest the progress af our enterprise.

ROBERT OFFICER, Chairman.

STILLWELL AND KNIQIIT, PRINTERS, COLLINS STREET EAST, MELBOURXK.

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