J. PISCICULTURE AND THE FISHERIES. 423 



the coast of Scotland; the second, the unusual amount of 

 stormy weather which prevailed from the beginning of Oc- 

 tober to the end of the year. 



The French fisheries are divided primarily into two classes : 

 those relating to the cod, conducted on the Banks of New- 

 foundland and about Iceland, and those prosecuted on the 

 coast of France itself. The product of the Newfoundland 

 fishery amounted to about 10,500,000 francs, with 187 vessels, 

 being an increase of nearly 2,000,000 francs and of 24 vessels 

 over the number iu 1871. The Iceland fishery afforded about 

 6,400,000 francs, with 252 vessels, an increase of 819,000 

 francs and 26 vessels over the number in 1871. The greater 

 number of boats for a much smaller yield in Iceland is due 

 to their smaller size as compared with the Bankers. 



The total increase in the value of the cod-fishery for the 

 year amounted to about 2,819,000 francs. The shore fisher- 

 ies proper yielded 24,204,000 francs, with a force of 63,066 

 men and 18,340 boats a decided increase in all respects as 

 compared with 1871. The oyster-fisheries yielded 417,000 

 francs more than the previous year, this being due to the 

 greater development of the trade, and possibly to the success 

 of artificial measures for their introduction, as also to the 

 regulations to prevent waste and injury. The sardine-fish- 

 eries of 1872 were much more productive than those of 1871, 

 the difference being nearly 2,000,000 francs. 



It is very much to be desired that measures should be ini- 

 tiated in the United States for determining the value of our 

 sea-fisheries with some of the precision practiced in France, 

 whose system is perhaps more efficient than that of any other 

 nation in Europe. The republic is divided into 22 districts, 

 from each of which is a report of the number of men employ- 

 ed, the number of vessels, with their tonnage, the products, 

 and the total yield in each case a double column being ex- 

 hibited of the fisheries for the year, and the difference, plus 

 or minus, as compared with the year preceding. There is 

 also a supplementary table, showing the line and seine fishing, 

 without the use of boats, and other statistics. 



One fact of much importance suggests itself in the exami- 

 nation of these tables namely, the small extent to which the 

 anadromous fish enter into the food supply of France. Thus 

 we find mention of the capture of salmon only to the value 



