10 
valuable legacy of the before-iianied article in the Edinburgh Reviewj 
in which he seems to have put forth his ideas of acclimatisation, as 
applied to our own country; and as this paper contains so many 
valuable hints from long experience, that experience I feel it incumbent 
upon me to put forth in many of the ideas as to details, that honour 
should be given where honour is due. lie begins with a passage 
from Lord Bacon, who, among the inventions of the island Altantes, 
shadows forth the practice of acclimatisation, in the following words: 
“ We liave also parks and enclosures of all sorts of beasts and 
birds, which we use not only for view or rareness, but likewise for 
dissections and trials, that thereby Ave may take light what may be 
wrought on the body of man; wdiercin wo find many strange effects; 
as continuing life in them, though divers parts, which you account 
vital, be perished and taken forth; resuscitating of some that seemed 
dead in appearance, and the like. We also try poisons and other 
medicines upon them, as well of surgery as physic. By art, likewise, 
we make them greater or taller than their kind is, and contrariAvise 
dwarf them and stay their groAvth. We make them more fruitful 
and bearing than their kind is, and contrariwise barren and not 
generative. Also, Ave make them differ in colour, shape, activity, 
many Avays. We find means to make commixtures of divers kinds, 
which has produced many new kinds, and them not barren, as the 
general opinion is. We have also particular pools, Avhere we 
make trials upon fishes, as we haA^e said before of beasts and birds. 
We have also places for breed and generation of those kind of worms 
and flies which are of special use, such as are with you your 
silkworms and bees.*' 
Having enumerated the various so-called zoological gardens in 
Europe, Mr. ]\litchell states of them that they have addressed them¬ 
selves rather to mere exhibition than to reproduction and acclimati¬ 
sation, and then startles us Avitb the astonishing fact that since the 
Christian era the only additions to our catalogue of domesticated 
animals, have been four in number, viz. :— 
In 1524 the turkey. 
In 1G50 the musk duck. 
In 1725 the gold pheasant. 
Li 1740 the silver pheasant. 
Here, then, is an answer to the question of the sceptic who believes 
we have the best of everything; and if he be a gastronome, we 
appeal to that love of good feeding Avhich Ave all have more or less, and 
ask him, if it Avere not for the acts of acclimatisation whicli took 
place in 1524 and 1726, what would he have for dinner on Christ- 
mas-day to face the roast beef, and Avhere Avould his pheasants be 
which he takes so much pride in preserving in his eoverts. 
Now if we Avere to order a taxidermist to set up and prepare a series 
of all the animals we use in England, whether for food or for orna- 
