8 



The Council unanimously requested the Hon. W. C. Haines, to 

 accept the Presidency, and they are glad to say that that gentleman 

 has consented. 



The Council record with much pleasure, that the gold medal of 

 la Soci^te Imperiale d'Acclimatation de France, for this year was 

 conferred upon Mr. Wilson, as a recognition of his indefatigable 

 labours in the cause of acclimatisation. 



In passing the vote for the Society this year, the Legislative 

 Assembly attached the condition that £650 should be raised by 

 private contributions. In order to make an appeal to the general 

 public, a circular was prepared,* setting forth in a concise manner, 

 what the Society had accomplished during the short period of its 

 existence, and what were its claims to public support. The response 

 to this was of the most generous and gratifying kind. Subscrip- 

 tions flowed in from all parts of the Colony, whilst the circular 

 was printed in extenso in the transactions of the French Society, as 

 also in The Times and Field, both which papers contained most 

 flattering articles upon the detailed results of the Society's 

 operations. 



In reviewing the more prominent labours of the Council during 

 the past year, a foremost place must be assigned to the introduction 

 of the salmon, constituting as it does a fresh epoch, in Australian 

 acclimatisation, and conducing to results of which it is impossible to 

 overestimate the importance. From the few ova that were retained 

 in Victoria, it cannot be asserted with certainty, that salmon is yet 

 established in the Colony, although sufficient has been done to show 

 that there are no insuperable difficulties in the way ; whilst in 

 Tasmania complete success has been attained. To Mr. J. A. Youl 

 must be ascribed the lion's share of praise for the result, whilst these 

 Colonies owe a debt of gratitude to Messrs. Money Wigram and 

 Sons, for the princely generosity which placed the Norfolk at 

 Mr. Youl's disposal, for the conveyance of the ova. The Council beg 

 to record here the votes of thanks which they passed to those gentle- 

 men, and to Captain Tonkin, upon the arrival of the Norfolk ; and 

 also to Commander Norman upon the successful trans-shipment of 

 the ova to Tasmania. 



" The Acclimatisation Society of Victoria takes this the earliest 

 opportunity of recording its sense of the deep obligations which not 

 only the Society, but the whole of the Australian Colonies are under 

 to James A. Youl, Esq., for his constant and undaunted determina- 



* See Appendix. 



