352 ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETIES. 



On the principle of hearing hoth sides of the question 

 we shall contrast the experience of M. Colpaert with 

 that of Mr Ledger, who, after frightful dangers and 

 losses, has succeeded in introducing llamas and alpacas 

 into Australia. 



Of the 336 animals which Mr Ledger embarked for 

 Sydney he lost 80 before his arrival in November 1858, 

 notwithstanding the assistance rendered during the pas- 

 sage by thirteen Indians hired for the express purpose 

 of attending to the precious cargo. 



On the whole, notwithstanding some mishaps, due 

 mainly to the great drought of 1862-63, and to the al- 

 pacas being allowed to breed too soon after their arrival, 

 Mr Ledger maintains that his great experiment is far 

 from being unsuccessful. In February 1864 there were 

 in the colony 328 animals ; the wool had improved, and 

 was acknowledged to be very fine. Mr Ledger makes 

 several interesting statements in his paper read to the 

 Acclimatisation Society at Sydney. 



" When, fifty years ago, Merinos were introduced into 

 the colony, if any one had spoken of the probability 

 that Australia should one day be the rival of Spain in 

 the production of these fine wools, he would not have 

 been believed. Shall I then be laughed at when pre- 

 dicting that in thirty years Australia will produce three 

 million pounds of alpaca wool?". The hopes of Mr 

 Ledger may be over-sanguine, but it must be confessed 

 that his doings justify distrust of the far more discourag- 

 ing report of M. Colpaert, so that we should not despair 

 of localities suited to the alpaca being discovered in 

 some of the diversified climates of the British posses- 

 sions. 



The like modified statement, which we have been 

 making as to the alpaca, must be made in reference to 

 the Chinese sheep, whose astonishing fecundity, it was 

 thought, rendered them a desirable acquisition. Ong-ti, 

 it seems, is a misnomer ; the proper name is Ti-yang. 

 Of this breed there are at Paris two varieties. The 



