Rcport of the Committee of Science and Correspondence to the Council. 

 March22nd, 1831. 



The Committee of Science and Correspondence, liaving taken into 

 consideration the request of the Council, that they should prepare a Re- 

 port upon the Animals niost desirable to be introduced intothis coun- 

 try for the puiposes of utility or exhibition, beg leave to submit a List 

 of such Animals arranged under the heads of the respective countries 

 of which they are natives. The selection of these countries has been 

 made upon the principle of particulariziiig those in vvhich the political, 

 commercial and scientific interests of England have established such 

 correspondents as are likely to exert themselves in for\varding the 

 vievvs of the Council. 



The Animals most desirable for the purposes of utility may be se- 

 verally considered as they are likely to supply the objects of food, 

 clothing, medicine, or draft. 



The Committee recommend to the primary consideration of the 

 Council the first class of these animals, or those which are serviceable 

 for food, as being by nature most capable of domestication, most i)ro- 

 lific, and l)est abie to bear the vicissitudes of climate. As their food 

 also is for the most part vegetable, they can be readily supplied with 

 it in their transmission to this country, and in confinement after- 

 \vards. The Animals referred to under this character include the greater 

 part of the Raminant or Hoofed order among the Mammalia, and the 

 Gallinaceous order among Birds; the former comprehending the va- 

 rious species of Deer, Jntelopes, Oxen, Sheep, Gocits, &c. ; and the 

 latter the numerous species of Pigeons, Turkeys, Guinca Fouds, Jun- 

 gle Fowls, Pheasants, Grouse, Partridges, Quails,the Strulhious Birds, 

 Curassoms, Penelopes, Sfc. And to these may be added a few specie.s 

 from the Rodent order of the Mammalia, such as Hares, Rabbits, 

 Agoutis, Sįc. J and a few from the Natatorial orA&r of Birds, as Ducks, 

 Geese, Stvans, Sfc. 



In thus particularly directing the attention of the Council to the 

 above-mentioned groups, the Committee are not equally sanguine of 

 succe.ss in the attempt to naturalize all. Climate in many instances 

 has an evident influence in advancingorretardingthisobject. Many 

 species of Deer for example, the inhabitants for the most part of 

 northern latitudes or of high elevations in southern, breed freely in 

 this country, vvhile the Antelopes and Mušk Deer of Africa and India, 

 although closely allied to the Deer, have been found, with scarcely an 

 exception, incapable of enduring our colder temperature, On the 

 other hand the infiuence of climate appears in many cases either 

 not to have been felt or to have been counteracted ; the Pheasant 

 and Junglc Foivls of India, for insfaiice, and the Guinca Foivls of 

 Africa, liaving been natuinlized among us with rqiial success as the 



