QUEENSLAND, 1879.-— REPORT OF STOCK INSPECTOR. 671 
Abstract. 
Southern Division. 
2,814,881 
Central Division ..... 
2,481,139 
Northern Division. 
121,806 
Total .... 
5,417,826 
Number returned for 1877 
5,976,564 
Number returned for 1878 
5,417,826 
Decrease in 1878 
558,738 
The number of sheep that left 
the colony borderwise 
during the year was 
423,365 
Number introduced border- 
wise during the year . 82,054 
Number imported by sea . 510 
83,164 
Excess of exportation 
340,201 
Making due allowance for sheep slaughtered for home 
consumption (say 700,000), and presuming that there was 
little, if any, increase by lambs in those districts in which the 
drought and the marsupial pest were felt most severely, 
the number of sheep that perished from scarcity of feed and 
water cannot have been far short of half-a-million. 
The number of stud sheep introduced during the year were : 
(1) By sea: 
Merino rams 
• • 
503 
Lincoln rams 
• • 
7 
510 
(2) Borderwise: 
Merino rams 
1372 
Merino ewes 
5282 
6,654 
Total 
• • 
7,164 
A considerable proportion of the merinos introduced by 
sea were greatly above the average quality of stud sheep, 
several of the lots having been prize-takers at the annual 
ram show at Melbourne. Those introduced borderwise were 
for the use of runs on the Ward, Paroo, and Barcoo rivers. 
Whilst the clip in the western districts is said to have 
been up to the average of favorable seasons, that on the 
w T hole of the country lying east of 147° east longitude was 
reported to having been exceptionally light. 
The necessity for legislation to regulate the traffic in 
travelling sheep was again forced on the attention of the 
Government during the past year, and a Bill on the subject, 
based on the principle of the law in force in New South 
