ARTIFICIAL OYSTER CULTURE. 1127 



I think that it has been made very apparent, not only 

 by the class of objects exhibited by foreign contributors to 

 this Exhibition, but also by the original papers and the dis- 

 cussions which the Conferences connected with the Exhi- 

 bition have produced, that there is nothing which is so much 

 needed in connection with all kinds of fisheries, river or 

 sea, shell-fish, true fish, coral or sponge as more know- 

 ledge, more science in fact, more zoology ; and not only 

 that, but that there is nothing which is more desired and 

 recognised as needful by all those who are best informed in 

 their own particular branches of fishery. 



Improved machines for catching fish, new legislative 

 restrictions, State aid to fisher-folk all such desiderata are, 

 I believe, admitted to be less urgently needed, less likely 

 to prevent our various fisheries from deteriorating or disap- 

 pearing altogether, than the one desideratum more accu- 

 rate knowledge. 



It is admitted on all sides that many British fisheries 

 are suffering, or are in a precarious state others are actu- 

 ally destroyed. It is also admitted that our only chance of 

 bettering this state of things is an increase of scientific or 

 accurate knowledge. 



If this is the case, there will be one grand scientific 

 result of the International Fisheries Exhibition, and that 

 will be an increased attention to, and adequate provision 

 for, the carrying on of zoological studies in relation to 

 fishery-animals. 



I can picture to myself the shape which this scientific 

 result might take, and I should be very glad were it to 

 commend itself to the many influential men connected with 

 fisheries who have organised this Exhibition, and will have 

 the direction of its final outcome. 



