7 
for the trouble of importing them. A fresh supply was much 
wanted, and he trusted that this subject might be taken up by those 
w'ho had convenient pasture ground for them in England, and who 
would be patriotic enough to further tlie important cause of the 
acclimatisation of useful exotic animals in English parks and 
homesteads. 
Professor Owen himself, a few days afterwards, wrote a letter to 
the Times, in which he speaks highly of Eland as a meat, and 
advocates the cause of acclimatisation. These observations, both 
verbal and printed, of the learned Professor made a deep impression 
on all who read or heard, and I may add more especially on my own 
mind, for they showed us how that science even in her gravest moods, 
bends to utility, and that there was a grand uncultivated field open 
to those V ho would take up the subject in earnest. Shortly after¬ 
wards there appeared a remarkable article in the Edinburgh Review, 
No. 224, Jan. 1860, upon the “Acclimatisation of Animals,” which 
we have good reason to believe emanated from the pen of that most 
accomphshed and practical naturalist, Mr. Mitchell, now, alas! no 
longer among us. This gentleman had evidently been struck with 
the idea of forming, in England, a society for acclimatisation, similar 
to that in Paris, which he had just undertaken to manage. 
But before going further, I must beg to give an outline of this now 
justly celebrated society, which has been published, from the pen of 
an accomplished gentleman, in the columns of the Field newspaper. 
We learn that the Acclimatisation Society was formed at Paris, on 
the 10th of Fcbruaiy, 1854; that, at least, was the date on which it 
took material form. It was presided over and addressed by M. 
Isidore Gooffroy Saint Hilaire, who, in a speech full of good sense and 
sound logic, unfolded the scheme of the society. He told them that 
the association they were about to form was, up to that day, without 
an example, that it was to be composed of agriculturists, naturalists, 
landowners, all the scientific men, not only of France, but of every 
civilised country, all of whom would aid in a work which required 
the help of everbody, because it was for the good of everybody. The 
prospect was, said he, nothing less than to people our fields, our 
forests, and our rivers with new guests; to increase and vary our 
alimentary resources, and to create other economical or additional 
products. In the vegetable kingdom much had already been done ; 
but in the animal almost nothing. We have not one of those 
Mammifera which are so useful to the inhabitants of Asia and 
America, and to their indigenous game the French had added three 
species only—the rabbit, the kid, and the pheasant. M. Saint 
Hilaire then proceeded to point out that, although their ancestors had 
