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scale, the Council would refer to the fact of having introduced 

 living specimens of the sea fishes of Europe in the shape of the 

 grey mullet and the edible crab ; not indeed in numbers to justify 

 a hope of establishing the breed, but amply suggestive of what will 

 be done in the future. 



In a country so subject as this to the ravages of insects, the case 

 of the agriculturist has always been carefully considered. Hundreds 

 of industrious farmers have even this year been ruined by the 

 caterpillar, and similar visitations must necessarily be expected. 

 The introduction of insect-destroying birds has therefore been 

 carefully attended to, and with this has been combined an effort to 

 surround our colonial residences with those interesting associations 

 which constitute no slight portion of the charms with which the 

 name of " home " is ever surrounded. The thrush, the blackbird, 

 the skylark, the starling, the chaffinch, the sparrow, the Chinese 

 sparrow, the Java sparrow, and a most active and interesting bird, 

 the Indian mino, may now be considered thoroughly established, and 

 are rapidly extending by natural means through the Colony. The 

 goldfinch, the linnet, the greenfinch, the yellow hammer, the 

 ortolan, the canary, the robin, and many kinds of the smaller birds 

 of other countries are being accumulated in the aviaries of the 

 Society, and many of them have already bred there. 



The nightingale and the hedge-sparrow have been promised us 

 by benevolent ladies at home, and the Queen herself has made an 

 effort to supply us with the rook. To other liberal friends of the 

 cause we are indebted for promises of the gazelle and the edible 

 crab. 



As a contribution of very particular interest to the cottager, the 

 introduction of the Ligurian bee may be adduced, that insect being 

 probably, from its industrious and wonderfully prolific properties, 

 the most valuable in the world. This bee is multiplying with 

 almost incredible rapidity, and will soon be accessible to all classes. 



A widely extended correspondence and a system of kindly inter- 

 change are knitting us in interesting relations with kindred societies 

 in all parts of the world. And to gentlemen in England, France, 

 India, Ceylon, and China, the Society is in particular under deep 

 obligations. 



The very great distances at which the operations of the Society 

 have to be carried on, and the difficulty of getting placed in com- 

 munication with the right class of persons and institutions calculated 

 to aid the enterprise, should argue in favour of a steady persistence 

 of effort, protracted probably over many years, and should show 

 the false policy of any ill-considered interruption of a great national 

 scheme. 



The British Government has recently been induced to take up 

 the project of Acclimatisation with an amount of consideration 

 altogether without precedent, the Foreign and Colonial Offices 

 having recently sent to British emissaries in all countries in the 



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