Page:Acclimatisation; its eminent adaptation to Australia.djvu/5



subject on which I have the honour of addressing you this evening is one now exciting great interest in Europe, and is becoming of great importance: it is the acclimatisation or art of introducing the mammalia, birds, fishes, and insects into countries to which they are foreign, utilising them in places where they were formerly unknown, and in such congenial localities as may conduce to their being reared and propagated with success—thus reducing our scientific knowledge to useful and practical purposes.

This art, from its value to mankind generally, is at the present time making rapid progress in Europe, and through the great exertions of Mr. Edward Wilson is firmly established at Melbourne, and extending to other British colonies.

That the subject of Acclimatisation is not of recent origin is proved by reference to the works of Lord Bacon, upwards of 250 years since, who, in his "New Atlantis," in an edition in my possession, of 1027 (p. 35), shadows it forth in these words— "We have 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 trialls. That thereby we may take light, what may be wrought upon the body of man."—"We try also poysons and other medicines upon them, as well as of chyrurgery, and physicke." "We have also particular pools, where we make trialls upon fishes, as we have said before of beasts and birds." "We have also places for breed and generation of those kindes of worms and flies which are of special use, such are with you your silkworms and bees."