206 A. G. HAMILTON. 
in their respective districts. But these statements are too loose 
to have any value in a scientific point of view, while the returns 
of killed have this value, being statements of actual facts which 
have come under observation. 
The damage done to indigenous vegetation by introduced rats — 
and mice is probably small, certainly nothing to be compared to 
that wrought by the immense hordes of indigenous rats aud mice 
which at times cross the interior plains. 
When we consider the animals grouped under the name of stock 
however, the case is very different. In Australian Statistics for 
1890,* I find the following numbers given for the Australian 
Colonies (in all these figures, as in those for roads, railways and 
telegraphs, I have omitted New Zealand):—Sheep, 97,878,619 ; 
‘Cattle, 9,903,692 ; Horses, 1,509,669; Swine, 889,333. The 
significance of these figures will be better appreciated if we take 
the number to each square mile in Victoria and New South Wales . 
New South Wales. Victoria. 
Sheep, 180-19 ae BES .- 144-92 
Cattle, 6:14 Ox ee aley | 20 
Horses, 1:43 uae wed ade 4°97 
Swine, Oil t x ae 3°21 
Making 188-67 animals to each square mile in New South Wales, 
and 173-39 in Victoria. 
When we consider that all these animals are introduced and 
have been spread over a new country, where the native fauna as 
regards individuals was very scanty, it is not difficult to see how 
much they must have injured the native vegetation. 
With regard to the birds—the domestic fowls, pigeons, the 
sparrow and a few others, I am not aware of any statistics of 
their numbers. 
Among invertebrates the most noticeable groups are insects, of 
which the Phylloxera, the Codlin Moth, some destructive weevils 
and an American butterfly (not however an introduction of settle- 
*T, A. Coghlan—Govt. Printer, Sydney, 1891. 
