OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 89 



It will thus be seen that our neighbours of Victoria are far from 

 being behind-hand in the pursuit of natural history. 



I have not been able to ascertain that anything has been pub- 

 lished in Queensland having reference to natural history during 

 1875. Bat a museum has been founded at Brisbane, and consi- 

 derable progress has been made towards a geological survey of the 

 colony. 



In South Australia, Mr. Waterhouse, the director of the public . 

 Museum at Adelaide, has published a catalogue of the mammals 

 and birds of that colony and of the Northern territory ; and Dr. 

 Schomburgh, the director of the public gardens, has published an 

 interesting paper on the flora of the colony, giving a complete list 

 of all the plants known both in South Australia proper and the 

 Northern territory. Both these papers have made their appear- 

 ance in a volume published by order of the Government for the 

 Intel-national Exhibition at Philadelphia, under the name of the 

 " Handbook of South Australia." 



Tasmania still remains the subject of the very interesting 

 experiment made some years ago of introducing salmon ova into 

 its rivers. Many reports have each year been circulated about the 

 reappearance of these fish, and I believe that there is good ground 

 to believe now that such is really the case ; but definite proof 

 seems still to be wanting of the perfect success of the experiment. 



I find it impossible to get information as to what has been done 

 in scientific matters in New Zealand during the past year ; but 

 we know that it possesses four museums, each presided over by 

 men of scientific eminence, and that the colony numbers among its 

 population many gentlemen of considerable scientific attainments. 

 I have only seen one publication — a small volume on the geology 

 of Otago, by P. W. Hutton, Provincial Geologist. From News- 

 papers also I derive the information that considerable discoveries 

 have been made of moa and other bones, giving evidence of the 

 very late disappearance of these gigantic birds. . 



In other parts of the world, amidst a mass of works published 

 <3ii natural history, a good deal has been written which refers to 

 Australian subjects. 



