12 
their protection and increase, and the consequent development of 
the fishery trade in this country.” A large amount of valuable 
information has been collected by this committee, tins is now 
being condensed in the report which is being prepared ; and before 
long the Council hope to be able to lay before the members a copy 
of that report. 
During the past year monthly meetings of the Society have 
been held in Melbourne and suburbs, at which papers on various 
subjects have been read, in order to bring the objects of the Society 
more prominently before the public. 
Following the example set by the Imperial Society of France, 
the Council determined to hold under their auspices an Exhibition 
of Dogs, and it is not now necessary to recall the success which 
attended their efforts; while it is satisfactory to add that financially 
the Exhibition was self-supporting, and that the funds of the 
Society wore not in any way drawn upon. 
The Council regret the almost total failure of Mr. Duffield’s 
Alpaca experiment, from which so much good was expected, in 
spite of his energetic and enterprising efforts. The failure, 
however, is not such as to cause despair of final success. The causes 
of the mortality to which the alpacas were subjected are found to 
have arisen, first, from the great and exhausting hardships suffered 
by the animals during their passage hither ; and, secondly, to their 
retention in the low, and damp soil in the neighbourhood of 
Melbourne. It is hoped that with greater care in the shipment, 
and with a wiser choice of a locality for their reception, the alpaca 
may yet be profitably acclimatised in Victoria ; aud the Council 
have much pleasure in reporting that Mr. Duffield, undaunted by 
his late ill success, is about to undertake a second attempt to 
introduce the alpaca into this Colony. * 
In concluding this report of their proceeedings of the past 
fourteen months, the Council must again record its sense of deep 
obligation to Dr. Thomas Black, whose great interest in and 
valuable services rendered to the Society continue undiminished. 
The Council are also greatly indebted to Professor McCoy, who in 
spite of the multifarious calls upon his time and attention has 
always rendered to this Society services of a valuable and scientific 
character. The Council would also present their best thanks to 
Messrs. Wilson Bros., of the Wimmera, and to Captain Skottowe of 
the R.M.S. Northam, to Captain Farquhar of the R.M.S. Madras , 
* In Appendix. 
