402 
Facts and Observations. 
ACCLIMATISATION OF ANIMALS. 
The society founded for the purpose of adding to the list 
of our birds, beasts, and fishes, appears to be making pro¬ 
gress. From a report issued by it, it is evident that some¬ 
thing has been done, and more is anticipated. 
A small flock of Chinese sheep have, for example, been in¬ 
troduced. This variety of the ovine tribe is wonderfully 
fruitful, the ewes producing three and four at a birth. The 
wool, though scanty, is valuable; and the flesh is not inferior 
to that of Welsh mutton, so dear to connoisseurs. Thus, 
if the little flock of the society should continue to flourish, 
an important step is already made. It has, besides, con¬ 
ducted some extremely curious and useful experiments—the 
sambar of Western India with the red-deer, the pin-tail and 
the common duck, and the Himalayan “ cheer pheasant 55 with 
the English bird. It has domesticated, with more or less 
success, the Japanese deer, the guan, and curassow, the sand- 
grouse of China, and the quail and prairie-grouse from America, 
as well as the fine black “ Kallagee 55 pheasant from Central 
Asia. An effort made to introduce the “ Murray cod 55 failed 
by a misadventure, but craw-fish have been very successfully 
transferred from English to Scottish waters; and the Tay 
has returned the compliment, having transmitted some of its 
pearl-bearing muscles to Southron streams. The Dioscorea 
batatas , or Chinese yam, and the Brazilian arrowroot, have 
been cultivated by the agency of this admirable society in the 
Channel Islands. But, perhaps, as notable a movement as 
any is the importation and complete acclimatisation by Lady 
Dorothy Neville—a member of the society—of the Cynthia 
silkworm. A French silk buyer pronounced the cocoons 
produced by her ladyship ei magnifiques, ;; and eagerly offered 
to purchase all she could supply. 
FECUNDITY OF HYBRIDS. 
M. St. Hilaire, from experiments on the reproductive 
power of hybrids, formed by the alliance of species of the 
same genus, has arrived at the conclusion that while there 
were a great many sterile hybrids, and also a great number 
