PREFACE. vii 



erto not been known. On this branch of the subject, I have 

 brought to bear many years of close observation, and study of 

 the instincts and habits of such fishes ; and have availed my- 

 self of all the knowledge of others that has come within my 

 reach. That my observations and directions may be intelli- 

 gable to general readers, in laying such information before 

 them, I have used as few technicalities as I consistently could. 



It will be seen that I have quoted largely from the great 

 amount of useful knowledge elicited by the enterprising Com- 

 missioners of Fisheries for the New England States. One of 

 the reasons for laying such information before my readers is, 

 that many interested persons outside of those states may not 

 be able to avail themselves of the important facts which have 

 been brought to light, as the reports alluded to are published 

 only for their own citizens, or those who may apply for them 

 to the Commissioners. As I have duly credited the various 

 sources from which I have received information bearing on 

 fish culture, I will make no further mention of them here, 

 than acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. Bertram's work, 

 " The Harvest of the Sea," and Mr. Francis's book on Fish 

 Culture. 



Although some statistics respecting salmon, and the con- 

 sumption of Crustacea, will be found in this book, I have 

 deemed that any account of fish that inhabit the sea exclu- 

 sively, would be irrelevant to my subject. 



The publisher of an agricultural paper has urged my com- 

 pliance with his request, to contribute a series of articles on 

 trout culture, " if there were no state secrets." I might here 

 suggest, that my starting a trout-breeding establishment for 

 one of the subscribers to his paper (as I did for others, and 

 that without remuneration), before I entertained an idea of 

 writing this book, is an evidence that I have never had any 



