1864.] Introduction. 8 
guns, and to their employment in such places as London, Edinburgh, 
Liverpool, Newcastle, &c., to show how practical is the value of this 
branch of Science, and how immediately it affects the comfort and 
safety of the community.* 
And haying now descended once more to the earth’s surface and 
directed our thoughts to man and his surroundings, it is necessary that 
we should devote a few pages to the consideration of those subjects 
which are more immediately connected with his interests, and which 
affect his own character and condition; and with this view we shall 
cast a glance at the Natural History Sciences. 
One of the most interesting, and certainly the most practically 
useful subjects to which we can direct attention, is the transport and 
acclimatization of plants and animals. 
We have but to refer to the transplantation of the Quinine-yielding 
Chinchona-tree from South America to India, and its successful culti- 
vation there; to the introduction of British fruits into the Australian 
colonies; and to the effort, hitherto but partially successful, to trans- 
port British salmon into those colonies for breeding purposes ; in order 
to show what a practical and important movement is here taking place, 
and how much the influence of pure Science is apt to be underrated, 
until its material applications become manifest. 
The rapidly increasing demand for quinine was likely soon to have 
materially exceeded the supply from South America, but the success 
which has attended the acclimatization of the plant in India has re- 
moved all apprehension on that head; and the benefits to be derived 
from the new industry are rendered more certain and immediate by the 
fact that the young tree yields even a larger supply of quinine than it 
does in the more advanced stages of its growth. 
The scheme of transporting salmon to Australia has not been so suc- 
cessful as the foregoing experiment, but as we feel sure that the labours 
of the enterprising acclimatizers will ultimately be crowned with 
success, and will yield a rich harvest to the inhabitants of the Austra- 
lian continent, and, we trust, to the initiators themselves, we shall 
devote a page to the narrative of their efforts, and hope that a little 
influential assistance may thereby be enlisted in their cause. 
We would first observe, that there are few features in the history of 
acclimatization so satisfactory as the success which has attended the 
introduction of the natural products of Great Britain into Australia. 
Those who visited the Exhibition of 1862 cannot fail to recollect the 
* It is but just to mention, in connection with this topic, the names of Mr. 
Hartnup, of Liverpool, and Professor P, Smyth, of Edinburgh, to whom the scien- 
tific world (and more especially the maritime community) is indebied for many 
improvements in these instruments and appliances. 
