7 
factory to know that there is nothing in the rivers injurious to the 
salmon. A two-year old srnolt has been caught in Tasmania, and is 
now exhibited in the Tasmanian Court at the Intercolonial Exhibi¬ 
tion in Melbourne; competent judges have pronounced it to be as 
fine a fish of its age as ever was seen in the United Kingdom. The 
brown trout having now spawned, and fry having been hatched from 
the ova, their acclimatisation may be looked upon as having 
been successfully accomplished. A few of the ova were sent 
to this Society, and were placed in Jackson’s Creek, in a spot 
which had been selected by Mr. Ramsbottom, and where every 
preparation had been made for their reception by Mr. W. 
J. Clarke. Several fry were hatched when the floods, which 
so unexpectedly occurred last September, completely washed 
away the boxes in which the ova had been deposited, and, 
it is to be feared, destroyed the fry. It is, however, quite 
possible .that some of the fry escaped into the creek, and 
may yet be heard of there. Next winter, when the number of eggs 
obtained from the fish will probably be much larger, it is intended to 
request the Commissioners to send over a considerable quantity ; and 
for its reception a hatching establishment will be formed at the 
Royal Park, whence the fish can be distributed to suitable 
localities throughout the colony. 
Two very interesting experiments were made by Mr. Youl, at the 
time he sent out the last shipment of ova. In the ice bin in which 
the ova were deposited was placed a box, containing cocoons 
of the Ailantus silkworm and some fruit trees and heather. Upon 
arrival the cocoons were placed in charge of Professor McCoy, and 
one of them produced a living moth six months afterwards. The 
others on being opened wore found to have died in France, and never 
to have assumed the pupa state in the cocoon, so that the voyage 
had no connection with their death. The trees and heather arrived in 
as perfect a state as if they had only just been lifted from the 
nursery. The importance of this experiment can hardly be over¬ 
estimated, showing as it does that all the vegetable world of northern 
Europe is placed at the disposal of Australia. 
During the past year 22 Axis deer have been sent to Longerenong, 
on the Wimmera, where they have been liberated in company with 
13 others already in the possession of Mr. Samuel Wilson. The 
intention, in selecting this spot, is, that the Grampians may become 
stocked with this beautifid species of deer. 
A further supply of Ceylon partridges has been secured and 
liberated by Mr. Austin at Barwon Park. 
