Zoology of the International Exhibition. 163 



proofs of possessing a wealth, of animal life,, to which none of 

 the European or American communities can offer anything like 

 a parallel. Here, in various forms, we have products of the 

 kangaroo, opossum, platypus, flying opossum, black cat, tiger 

 cat, and immense collections of birds, mostly of gay plumage. 

 In 1872 the Australians may send specimens of home-bred black- 

 birds, thrushes, sparrows, and starlings ; these are all naturalized, 

 and are increasing wonderfully, to the benefit of the agricultural 

 interest. The case of grey and black opossum furs in the Tas- 

 manian Court, is one of the most beautiful of the contributions 

 from the Australians. 



Notwithstanding* some of the main features of the disastrous 

 journey of O'Hara Burke into the interior of Australia, the 

 camel is so far a successful introduction that the means of explo- 

 ration are added to by its whole value for traversing vast re- 

 gions of desert destitute of both herbage and water. There is 

 not a single contribution of any kind from either of the pro- 

 vinces to illustrate this new item of Australian wealth and 

 power, but we may name, in passing, a very interesting collec- 

 tion of objects from the interior, collected by J. M. Stuart, and 

 exhibited in the South Australian department, under the north- 

 east transept, by Mr. J. Chambers (77). The fitness of the 

 more tropical parts of that continent for the camel is prefigured 

 in the success which has attended the introduction of the 

 Lama, Alpaca, and Vicuna. New South Wales, the parent 

 colony of the group, leads the way in an enterprise which is 

 likely to change the whole character of the pastoral districts by 

 the substitution of alpacas for sheep. At the back of the Court 

 is a case containing seven stuffed specimens — lama, alpaca, and 

 five crosses between them. The crosses show several interme- 

 diate stages between the bare head and woolly covering of the 

 lama, and the covered head and fine, long, hairy wool of the 

 alpaca. The Commissioners exhibit articles manufactured from 

 alpaca wool (24), and J. Nott (169) shows alpaca tallow and 

 pomade. As an experiment in what is termed " acclimatiza- 

 tion," the introduction of the alpaca to Australia must take first 

 rank. The task was undertaken by " an enterprising gentle- 

 man named Ledger," and it occupied him during a period of 

 four years to get the flock safely landed. He first visted Aus- 

 tralia to ascertain if the climate and native herbage were suitable. 

 He then returned to Peru and collected a flock, but the prohi- 

 bition of the government against the exportation of the animals 

 rendered it impossible to ship them from a Peruvian port. He 

 commenced thearduous task of conveying them to Chili overland, 

 crossed the Andes slowly but safely with his contraband trea- 

 sures, and, after innumerable dangers and difficulties, got them 

 to Copiapo, whence they were safely transmitted to Australia. 



