24 
the first place, he gathered from the report of the Society, as well as 
from other sources, that while they had achieved great successes, 
they had not been exempt from occasional failures. But this should 
not discourage them, for the operations of an Acclimatisation Society 
were necessarily and peculiarly tentative ; and no society like this 
could secure itself against occasional failures without confining its 
operations within limits which would materially impair its utility. 
He had beeu very sorry to learn that the attempts to introduce the 
alpaca and the cashmere goat had not been successful. On the other 
hand, however, he could congratulate the Society upon the very 
remarkable success which had attended, he might say crowned, their 
endeavours to introduce and establish the Angora goat. He looked 
upon that as being a very, very great success. It was now no longer 
a question whether these valuable animals could be established and 
domesticated here. That question had been put and answered, and 
the development and utilisation of this accession to the wool-bearing 
herds of Victoria, depended not so much upon the Acclimatisation 
Society as upon the enterprise of the people of the colony. In 
selecting the Angora goats, he did not mean to say that this was the 
only point upon which this Society had achieved remarkable success. 
Very far from it. But it was the most recent instance, and the in¬ 
stance, therefore, that had made the greatest impression upon his 
mind. One other word before he sat down. A few weeks ago, his 
good offices were invoked in aid of the endeavours of the Society to 
introduce a ccyisiderable number of ostriches from Aden. He need 
scarcely say that all the assistance ho could give was most readily 
afforded. At that time, however, he mentioned to his hon. friend, Dr. 
Black, that he entertained doubts as to whether the relations which 
existed at that time between the British residents at Aden and the 
people of the interior were such as to give any reasonable prospect of 
success in the endeavour to obtain ostriches. He expected to receive 
by the next mail an answer to the letter which he had addressed to 
the British Resident on the subject, and that reply would be at once 
communicated to the Society. If at any time he could give any 
assistance to the Society, it would afford him the greatest pleasure. 
(Applause.) 
The Secretary, Mr. Geo. Sprigg, then read the Report. (Seo 
page 5.) 
Mr. H. J. Chambers moved the adoption of the report and 
balance-sheet, remarking that while the Society had been compelled 
to submit to some failures, it had achieved many triumphs. What 
had been accomplished last year was something wonderful. The 
