22 
V 
cal Gardens, fine as they are, would have been much more 
attractive, as the exhibits often die, and the expense 
of procuring new specimens is heavy. On the whole, the 
advancement made since the formation of the Gardens in 
1880. under great disadvantages and with very limited 
means, reflects great credit on the Council and on the 
Director and management. It is a pity that the privilege 
of admissions to the Gardens obtainable by subscribers of 
one guinea annual subscription is not more largely taken 
advantage of, as a handsome revenue derived from this 
source would enable the Council of the Society to increase 
its collection and make their Gardens even more attractive 
than they are at present, and to form a magnificent teach¬ 
ing school of zoology for the youth of the colony. 
After the above paper was printed , Mr. C. M. Officer gave me 
the following facts as corrigenda , which I gladly accept : — 
“Angora Goats. 
“ I had charge of a small flock of these animals for the 
Zoological and Acclimatisation Society in 1881-2. There 
were 189 of them. I tound them to be unsuited to the 
climate of Victoria, and unprofitable, for the following 
reasons: — They do not carry their fleece twelve months, and 
have therefore to be shorn twice in the year, which is a 
manifest disadvantage. They are very sensitive to cold, 
especially after being newly shorn, and in the spring of the 
year require housing for a time. They are great wanderers, 
and difficult to keep within ordinary wire fences; when they 
stray they have no idea of returning, but must be sought for. 
The ‘mohair,’ as their covering is styled, realised better 
prices than the best merino wool of the day; but this may 
have been owing to the very limited supply. Mr. Arthur 
Blackwood purchased fifty of them from the Society, and 
sent them to Shark’s Bay, West Australia; but they did no¬ 
better there than here, and have long since disappeared. 
“Ostriches. 
“ i he number on my property at Kerang is 120, but as the 
area of land in occupation is limited, they can only be 
judiciously increased by providing a supply of food such as 
maize, mangold-wurzel, lucerne, &c., to tide them over bad 
