6 
Angora goats now owned by the Society is one hundred and eighty. 
It is proposed to keep tho females exclusively in the hands of the 
Society until a large flock has been obtained, but it is intended to 
sell the surplus rams within the next few months. The average 
weight of the fleece of these goats is about 4 lbs., and as the market 
price is generally a shilling a pound higher than good sheep’s wool 
the value can readily be calculated. The demand for the wool is 
practically unlimited, so that no fears need be entertained of over¬ 
stocking the market. Some wool, shorn from tho few goats which 
have been for some years at the Royal Park, was sent to England by 
the Council to Messrs. Titus Salt and Sons. This firm most liberally 
had it made up into cloth, without any charge, aud returned it. It 
has been exhibited in the Intercolonial Exhibition, where it has been 
universally admired. These animals are, therefore, in a utilitarian 
point of view, most valuable, whilst the beauty of the fleece at the 
same time renders them pleasing objects to the eye. That they are 
hardy is sufficiently proved by the fact that, out of ninety-five shipped 
in London, ninety-three were lauded here, after an unusually severe 
and lengthened voyage of one hundred and twenty days. 
The Council has again to congratulate the subscribers upon the 
success of the salmon experiment. The Lincolnshire, with a 
shipment of ova on board, arrived here on May 1st, when a large 
proportion of the salmon and salmon trout ova was found to be 
alive. The brown trout ova, only 500 of which were shipped, 
had all perished. Thanks to the liberality of the Government in again 
granting the use of the steam sloop Victoria, and the skill and care of 
Commander Norman, the delicate task of transhipping the ova was 
successfully performed under the immediate superintendence of Mr. 
W. Ramsbottom, who had come over from Hobart Town specially 
for this purpose. The hatching in Tasmania resulted in 6,000 
salmon and 1,000 salmon trout. The salmon, which were hatched 
two years and a-half since, have gone down to the sea, and their 
return may be looked for now.* In such a large stream as the 
Dement, however, it is highly probable that the fish may not 
be seen returning, and that the earliest intimation which the Salmon 
Commissioners may receive of the success of their labours will be 
the sight of young fry in the upper waters of the river. This view is 
entertained by some of the first pisciculturists in England. It is satis- 
* Since the date of this report information has reached the Council, from 
the Commissioners, that the salmon have been seen leaping in the river on 
their return from the sea. 
