430 Original Articles. [ July, 
in English and foreign newspapers. And although the Society to 
which we are now referring is the one best known, and whose results 
have been most tangible, as their efforts have been most unwearied, it 
may be mentioned that amongst its fruits, perhaps, may be reckoned 
numerous other such Societies which have taken that of Victoria as 
their model; so that they now exist in almost every colony in those 
seas, as at Sydney, Hobart Town, Adelaide, Brisbane, Auckland, Lyttle- 
ton, and Dunedin. The French Society, too, have established most 
cordial relations with that of Melbourne, and a French man-of-war is 
at the present time engaged in transporting thither specimens of the 
yak, the ostrich, and other animals. Moreover, the British Govern- 
ment has recently been induced to take up the project with an amount 
of consideration altogether without precedent, the foreign and colonial 
offices having recently sent to British emissaries in all countries in the 
world, a series of questions as to the various desirable natural products 
of each country: and the Admiralty has issued a circular to all com- 
manders of Her Majesty’s ships, directing them to render every service 
in their power to the cause of acclimatization, in the conveyance of 
specimens. 
The inauguration of the Acclimatization Society of Melbourne on 
its present footing is comparatively recent, since less than three years 
_ have elapsed since it was amalgamated with, and undertook the duties 
of the Zoological Committee. Its Council is composed of gentlemen 
engaged in commerce, who willingly devote much valuable time to the 
subject, under the Presidency of Mr. Edward Wilson, the founder of 
the Society, and to whom has just been awarded the great Gold Medal of 
the Paris Society, which was instituted in 1862 for the traveller who, 
during nine years, had rendered the greatest services to the cause of 
acclimatization. Since the amalgamation, in consequence of the increas- 
ing number of animals and the unhealthiness of the original site of 
the gardens, an entirely new establishment has had to be formed in 
the Royal Park, involving a very heavy expenditure in fencing, plant- 
ing, forming excavations for ponds, building a house for the superin- 
tendent, shelter-sheds, pens, &c., and the Society now ask for a subsidy 
from the colonial government. Among other items laid upon the 
table of the Assembly, 3rd February last, was one of 4,000/. for the 
Acclimatization Society, coupled with a condition that 650/. should be 
raised by private subscription. It is to justify this vote that the 
Society has published the results of its efforts, in order to prove to the 
Government that the public money is being legitimately spent, as well 
as to create a wider interest in the object of the enterprise. 
The herd of Camels brought from India, at an expense of 120/. per 
head, had become scattered, and were in a fair way of being annihilated 
under the various exploratory expeditions. Such of them as could be 
saved have been collected at Mr. Wilson’s station, at the Wimmera, 
where they are now breeding regularly, and forming the nucleus of 
probably a large herd, available at some future day, either for explora- 
tion or for conveying the products of remote stations to the more 
arid districts. 
Reports have reached us of the failure of the first attempts to 
