CHAP, i.] EXPECTED RESULTS. 225 



mentalists from incurring further expense in useless 

 efforts, and to stop the continued lamentations in agri- 

 cultural and natural history books that they are not yet 

 generally reared in our farm-yards ; which lamentations 

 are to be found in almost every ornithological work 

 which mentions the tribe. The investigation of the 

 difficulty, moreover, whether it shall finally be pro- 

 nounced to be superable or insuperable, may perhaps 

 establish some principles to guide us in speculating on 

 the probable results of future similar experiments. At 

 the present date, their high price, varying from 61. to 

 12/. the pair, shows that they are anything but vulgar 

 birds, and that a hindrance to their rapid increase on 

 the old continent has hitherto existed in some yet un- 

 discovered cause. 



When the Zoological Society of London was esta- 

 blished, nearly 30 years ago, it was intended by its 

 projectors to bear the same relation to Zoology as a 

 science, by the introduction of living birds and animals, 

 that the Horticultural does to Botany; and sanguine 

 hopes were naturally and reasonably entertained of its 

 being the means of making numerous and valuable 

 additions to our stock of domesticated creatures. Our 

 preserves were to be made the retreat of unknown game 

 birds; Bustards, Guans, Curassows, and a throng of 

 foreign Ducks and Geese, were to give variety to the 

 poultry yard and luxurious plenty to the larder; Al- 

 pacas, Guanacos, and Vicunas were to come in as useful 

 auxiliaries to the sheep farm, and an addition to our 

 flocks and herds; and even one or two new beasts of 

 burden, beautiful as the Zebra, docile as the Horse, 

 agile as the Antelope, and perhaps of half- elephant 

 power in strength, were hoped to be procurable. At 



Q 



