690 
FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
of historic interest, will always be largely visited by both 
Americans and Europeans. 
In connection with this Garden, we should like to see em- 
braced all the known breeds of fowls and pigeons , which, in 
other collections, have been or are almost totally ignored. 
Paris, it is true, has her “ Garden of Acclimation,” where 
many of the various breeds are bred or acclimated, yet not to 
that careful degree of perfection that is so desirable. In 
our country the pure-bred fowls of the different varieties 
would open a new field of interest, and awaken the Rip 
Van Winkles among the ruralists to the fact that mongrel 
dunghills belong to the days of the past, or the Pilgrims 
of Plymouth Rock. A few years would witness a decided 
and vast improvement of the poultry stock throughout the 
land, by those of known and acknowledged superiority tak- 
ing the place of the common stock. 
The farmer, in the days of the wooden plow, was content 
to keep several cows and buy butter, long-snooted swine, 
clumsy horses, miserable sheep, and dunghill fowls. Now 
he must have improved agricultural implements, herd-book 
cattle, pure-bred horses, and fast at that, and fine wool 
sheep; in fact, the “new departure” seems to embrace 
everything but fowls — -and why not them? This advancing 
backwards, with farmers, on the fowl question, needs a turn- 
ing point. We need an “ American Garden of Acclimation” 
to introduce and foster the pure breeds of fowls. Such an 
institution could be made more than self-sustaining ; in fact, 
if rightly and judiciously conducted, would prove a source 
of considerable revenue. 
I trust the eminent fanciers will agitate this idea until 
the proper authorities will be able to see the importance of 
furnishing in America “ what is wanted ” in this line. 
Brooklandville, Md., Nov. 12, 1874. G. O. BROWN. 
VENEMOUS REPTILES, INSECTS, ETC., OF 
ftUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. 
To the Editor Fanciers’ Journal. 
Dear Sir: Though your publication is styled the Fan- 
ciers' Journal and Poultry Exchange, I consider that you 
should not exclusively confine its columns to statistics re- 
garding the hen-house, breeding, and management of poul- 
try, but occasionally favor your numerous readers with facts 
regarding floriculture, horticulture, farming, natural his- 
tory, &c. Under this impression I submit to you some 
statistics of reptile and insect life in the land of the sunny 
South, Queensland, Australia, some portion of the draw- 
backs inflicted upon settlers in the antipodes, assuming that 
to a portion of your subscribers the perusal will prove in- 
teresting. 
On many tombstones throughout Queenland are in- 
scribed the names of persons who have died from the bite 
of venemous reptiles, of which there are many varieties in 
the colony, and perhaps in no part of the world are they 
more dangerous than in Queensland. Often mothers are 
heard to express their apprehension of their children going 
into the wood or scrub, lest they might be bitten, and in 
such events doctors live at too great a distance, perhaps some 
fifty or sixty miles, to arrive in time to afford relief to the 
sufferers. Scorpions and centipedes abound, and it is well- 
known how deadly their bite is. The tarantula is also com- 
mon in the country. Its body is about an inch and a half 
long, and when the legs are spread out it covers a space 
eight inches in breadth. On its body are placed bags of 
poisonous matter ; it shows a formidable set of mandibles; 
the thorax is hard and bony, and covered with bristly hairs ; 
the bite is worse than that of the centipede. The puff adder, 
the nature of whose deadly bite need not be described, is 
found in several districts. Often poisonous snakes enter the 
dwelling-houses, causing great alarm, and with good reason, 
for serious results terminating in death ensue. In this Eng- 
lish colony the thermometer ranges in the shade during the 
summer from 105° to 110° and upwards. Often when the 
lamps are lighted at night in the sitting-rooms, one may 
imagine, judging from the sound, that heavy rain drops ap- 
parently are falling pretty thickly on the roof. A very 
short interval serves to dispel the illusion, for these sounds 
come in the shape of little black bettles, crowding into the 
room, and lighting or rather tumbling on the table, the 
book you are reading, or into your hair and beard, in num- 
bers innumerable. This is bad enough ; but when, after a 
steady pursuit, you happen to extricate one from your hair 
or from inside your clothes, and incautiously crack it, the 
stench emanating is overpowering. Of course it is impos- 
sible to remain in the room ; the only plan is to turn out the 
light, close all windows and doors, especially those with, a 
northerly aspect. If these are not alone sufficient annoy- 
ances, they are generally joined by an equally strong army 
of red-winged ants, whose arrival varies the monotonous 
appearance of the black-coated_ beetles. When, in about a 
couple of hours, the supply may have ceased, and one can 
venture indoors, it is impossible to walk over the floor with- 
out crushing thousands of these obnoxious insects, each 
step being accompanied by a perfume very different from 
that of “ ottar of roses.” If mosquitoes were the only 
troublesome insects to be encountered in the Australian 
colonies, time or climatization might render one indifferent 
to their attacks, but they abound in much larger quantities 
in Queensland; in fact there is no cessation from their at- 
tacks. It is not unusual to see newcomers confined to their 
beds, their limbs so swollen that a doctor has often to be 
consulted. There are also periodical visits of swarms of 
fleas, and few have experienced, except the residents of 
Queensland, the misery of the flea season there. The white 
ant abounds in the colony, eating through houses, furniture, 
alike destructive to every article they come’ in contact with, 
besides hosts of other noxious insects. Flying foxes, which 
are only to be seen on the wing during night, are very 
numerous. They commit great ravages throughout the 
orchards, devouring all kinds of fruit, but no kind of vege- 
table escapes where they alight, so that in many districts 
the fruit trees are completely stripped. Flying foxes may 
be found in myriads, hanging from tree to tree. Some 
places which they frequent are almost inaccessible by land, 
but parties might be equipped who, with black guides, 
would be able to destroy millions of these depredators. The 
dingo, a species of wild dog, is very destructive on the sheep 
runs, to sheep, lambs, young pigs, and poultry, among 
which they commit great havoc. 
In conclusion, I give extracts from a letter received some 
time past, from a lady residing in Queensland, testifying to 
the facts which I have advanced. 
<< We have had no additional servants since the two Poly- 
nesians left. They have gone home to their island. Plenty 
of laborers coming out, but farmers cannot afford to pay 
them forty pounds a year and rations. They manage to leave 
Brisbane, and go up the country to the sugar plantations. I 
