33 
scale, the Council would refer to the fact of having introduced 
living specimens of the sea fishes of Europe in the shape of the 
grey mullet and the edible crab ; not indeed in numbers to justify 
a hope of establishing the breed, but amply suggestive of what will 
be done in the future. 
In a country so subject as this to the ravages of insects, the case 
of the agriculturist has always been carefully considered. Hundreds 
of industrious farmers have even tills year been ruined by the 
caterpillar, and similar visitations must necessarily be expected. 
The introduction of insect-destroying birds has therefore been 
carefully attended to, and with this lias been combined an effort to 
surround our colonial residences with those interesting associations 
which constitute no slight portion of the charms with which the 
name of “ home ” is ever surrounded. The thrush, the blackbird, 
the skylark, the starling, the chaffinch, the sparrow, the Chinese 
sparrow, the Java sparrow, and a most active and interesting bird, 
the Indian mino, may now be considered thoroughly established, and 
are rapidly extending by natural means through the Colony. The 
goldfinch, the linnet, the greenfinch, the yellow hammer, the 
ortolan, the canary, the robin, and many kinds of the smaller birds 
of other countries are being accumulated in the aviaries of the 
Society, and many of them have already bred there. 
The nightingale and tho hedge-sparrow have been promised us 
by benevolent ladies at home, and the Queen herself has made an 
effort to supply us with the rook. To other liberal friends of the 
cause we are indebted for promises of the gazelle and the edible 
crab. 
As a contribution of very particular interest to the cottager, the 
introduction of tho Ligurian bee may be adduced, that insect being 
probably, from its industrious and wonderfully prolific properties, 
the most valuable in the world. This bee is multiplying with 
almost incredible rapidity, and will soon be accessible to all classes. 
A widely extended correspondence and a system of kindly inter¬ 
change are knitting us in interesting relations with kindred societies 
in all parts of the world. And to gentlemen in England, France, 
India, Ceylon, and China, the Society is in particular under deep 
obligations. 
The veiy great distances at which the operations of the Society 
have to be carried on, and the difficulty of getting placed in com¬ 
munication with the right class of persons and institutions calculated 
to aid the enterprise, should argue in favour of a steady persistence 
of effort, protracted probably over many years, and should show 
the false policy of any ill-considered interruption of a great national 
scheme. 
The British Government has recently been induced to take up 
the project of Acclimatisation with an amount of consideration 
altogether without precedent, the Foreign and Colonial Offices 
having recently sent to British emissaries in all countries in the 
c 
