THE PROGRESS OF ACCLIMATISATION IN VICTORIA

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1055, 20 December 1862, Page 3

THE PROGRESS OF ACCLIMATISATION IN VICTORIA

(From the Melbourne ' Argus,' of Friday, 28th ult.) The Council of the Acclimatisation Society have certainly, at their first annual meeting, been able to give a good account of their stewardship. The limited funds at their disposal have been judiciously expended, and already the subscribers, at the end of the first year, have something to see for their money. Much could not be expected, and yet, when we come to cast up our gains, much has been attained. In thus casting up, we should be careful, by keeping in mind what the legitimate object of colonisation is, to limit our expectations to that object, so as not to fall into the mistake of looking, for something quite other than the friends of acclimatisation have in view. The need for this caution must have found illustration in the personal experience of almost every one who has taken any interest in the society's doings, and has conversed with casual visitors to the Royal Park. It is manifest that the growth of this erroneous impression of the real purpose of the society is calculated to retard its progress in public opinion. The chairman, therefore, did well on Monday night to call attention-to this matter. He said, truly enough, that it is not generally borne in mind by the public, or even by the press, that the design of this society is to stock the country with useful animals, much more than to form a zoological society. People visit the Royal Park, " and come away, if not complaining, at any rate hinting, that they have been rather disappointed at the want of variety among the collection they have found there—that there are great deficiencies among the carnivori, that even the Australian animals are not properly represented, as they ought to be in an Australian colony; forgetful all the while that we do not aim at getting up a wild-beast show, or even at elucidating the natural history of the Australian continent." Here is very fairly stated both the wrong and the right side of the question. It is quite certain that this impression does prevail among visitors to the Royal Park. It is equally certain that this society has done more towards fulfilling its mission, has insured a greater public benefit, if it has introduced one new bird, beast, or fish, fit for food, than if the Royal Park could show as fine a collection of animals, interesting only to naturalists, as the Regent's Park contains, or if it had provided us with " a wilderness of monkeys." Having thus reminded our readers of what is the proper aim of the society, let us see how far this end has been hitherto furthered. In stating this, we shall take the list in the order in which Professor M'Coy gives it in his lecture, although he does not confine himself strictly to animals actually new to the colony, for he begins with the oyster!.' There can be little doubt that the work of increasing our supply of this first of all purely natural delicacies properly belongs to a society like this ; and this being granted, there can be none that it should stand first on the list. The oyster, then, has engaged the attention of the society during the year; and the Professor tells us that the measures suggested for the preservation of the oyster-beds on our coast have been partially adopted by the Government, with beneficial results; " and in the coming year, the experience acquired by the French Government in the formation of artificial oyster-beds, and the preservation of the young, will be applied, as far as in our power, to the extension and improvement of those on our own coasts." If only the society succeed in obtaining for us a good and lasting supply of this delicate morsel, it will merit the warmest thanks of the community. Among the insecta, which stand next, we aro to have the Arrindy silkworm, which has an additional value to us here, because it thrives on the castor-oil plant, which grows in the colony "as a perfect weed;" and the Ligurian bee, famed for the quality as well as the quantity of its honey. Of the crustacese, it has been attempted to bring only the English crab and lobster, shipped by Mr. Lachlan Mackinnon. These died on the voyage, but, as with the salmon, the failure itself proved the feasibility of the experiment, because the causes of failure were manifest and are preventible. The Murray lobster, scarcely inferior to the English, has been successfully acclimatised in the Yarra. Of the fish, the first, of course, is the salmon; and as to the failure which has hitherto attended the attempts to introduce it, ; we need only repeat, in Professor M'Coy's words, what has been more than once stated in the columns of the ' Argus,' that " these failures are only looked upon by all concerned in them as indicative of success; and," he adds, "we are trying again." But English bream, dace, tench, roach, and carp, have already been imported; the Yan Yeah reservoir has been stocked with tench; and the noble Murray cod is now at home in the Yarra. Among birds, we have the ostrich; the great crowned pigeon, "a species of delicate flesh, nearly as large as a guinea fowl;" thecurassow, "as large as a small turkey, and equally good for the table." These have already been introduced by the society in some numbers, and distributed. The common pheasant has been introduced in large numbers • by the society, who may claim to have already acclimatised it." The English partridge, too, has now been acclimatised; "so that after a very few years, we may let, at certain seasons, the sportsmen indulge their bumps of destruction to at least a moderate extent on them." Besides these, Professor M'Coy tells of numbers of other birds already here, or on the way to our shores. Of quadrupeds, the hare and rabbit have been introduced, "and the.litter so thoroughly acclimatised, that it swarms in hundreds, in some localities. Then we have two species of the Brahmin bull;" and more are coming; several kinds of deer, including the red and the fallow. Of the llamas, we at present possess thirty-eight, and " 500 more alpacas are expected in a few weeks, to be landed by Mr. Duffleld, as a portion of 1500 to arrive." These, as well as many of the deer and goats, are intended for " some of the highest mountains in Gipps Land." From South Africa, we are to have, several of the most valuable of the ante-' lopes, of which the aryx and the koodoo are expected first; and finally, says the lecturer, that finest of all African antelopes, the eland, " a species larger than the largest ox, but yrith the most delicate and nutritious flesh, is to be the chief object - on which our ; resources will be expended to acclimatise it in the coming year." These are only a portion of the new and useful animals we owe or are to owe to the i Acclimatisatson Society; and it will be allowed; that they constitute a goodly list for one year. i While upon this subject, we desire to bespeak ; attention to a letter addressed by Mr. Edward Wit '• son to the 'Field,'and printed elsewhere, recom-: mending the employment of Queen's ships for: acclimatisation purposes. We look tp the Cape for; many of the most valuable animals; "but, alas !"j says Mr. Wilson, " there is literally no trade between! the two countries; our productions correspond i almost exactly with their productions, and such a i thing as a fine, roomy ship being laid on for Aus- j twilia at the Cape is never heard of; so that ourmoney lies idle, and this form of acclimatisation t remains undeveloped." The suggestions in this f letter are of the highest value, and merit the earnest i

attention of the society. The English has shown itself so favorable to the objects of the society, that we do not doubt a proper representation of the very valuable aid which may thus be given, at no cost and small inconvenience, would be generously met.