12 



their protection and increase, and the consequent development of 

 the fishery trade in this country." A large amount of valuable 

 information has been collected by this committee, this is now 

 'being condensed in the report which is being prepared ; and before 

 long the Council hope to be able to lay before the members a copy 

 of that report. 



During the past year monthly meetings of the Society have 

 been held in Melbourne and suburbs, at which papers on various 

 subjects have been read, in order to bring the objects of the Society 

 more prominently before the public. 



Following the example set by the Imperial Society of France, 

 the Council determined to hold under their auspices an Exhibition 

 of Dogs, and it is not now necessary to recall the success which 

 attended their efforts; while it is satisfactory to add that financially 

 the Exhibition was self-supporting, and that the funds of the 

 Society were not in any way drawn upon. 



The Council regret the almost total failure of Mr. Duffield's 

 Alpaca experiment, from which so much good was expected, in 

 spite of his energetic and enterprising efforts. The failure, 

 however, is not such as to cause despair of final success. The causes 

 of the mortality to which the alpacas were subjected are found to 

 have arisen, first, from the great and exhausting hardships suffered 

 by the animals during their passage hither ; and, secondly, to their 

 retention in the low, and damp soil in the neighbourhood of 

 Melbourne. It is hoped that with greater care in the shipment, 

 and with a wiser choice of a locality for their reception, the alpaca 

 may yet be profitably acclimatised in Victoria ; and the Council 

 have much pleasure in reporting that Mr. Dufiield, undaunted by 

 his late ill success, is about to undertake a second attempt to 

 introduce the alpaca into this Colony. * 



In concluding this report of their proceeedings of the past 

 fourteen months, the Council must again record its sense of deep 

 obligation to Dr. Thomas Black, whose great interest in and 

 valuable services rendered to the Society continue undiminished. 

 The Council are also greatly indebted to Professor McCoy, who in 

 spite of the multifarious calls upon his time and attention has 

 always rendered to this Society services of a valuable and scientific 

 character. The Council would also present their best thanks to 

 Messrs. Wilson Bros., of the Wimmera, and to Captain Skottowe of 

 the K.M.S. Northam, to Captain Farquhar of the K.M.S. Madras, 



* In Appendix. 



