Pisciculture with Rkference to Fau.ming. 399 



alluded to the i^eneral classification of fishes. It will be use- 

 less for our present purpose to discuss this general classifica- 

 tion more particularly. The books are full of technical 

 terms which it is difficult to simplify and make intelligible. 

 Thus we have in the United States not less than twelve char- 

 acteristic types of fresh water fishes, some of which are 

 numerously represented in our Kew England lakes and riv- 

 ers, others sparingly, and a few not at all. These are called 

 by names which, to the ordinary reader, serve rather to 

 embarrass than to aid his understanding, and are only 

 expressive in a scientific view. In short, then, all fishes 

 belong to one or the other of two kinds, bony or cartilaig- 

 nous. Owing, however, to wide difierences in their structu- 

 ral organization, all fishes or, at least, all fishes which have 

 value to mankind as food, are divided into groups or orders. 

 These are again divided into families whose general confor- 

 mation is similar, and all the members of which resemble 

 each other in some important particular. These families are 

 again divided into species, all resembling each other, or 

 having something about their organization in common, and 

 yet each one differing from all the rest in size, habit, or some 

 peculiar characteristic. For instance, we have the White 

 Fish, the true Salmon, the great Lake Trout, sometimes 

 called Mackinaw Salmon and Mackinaw Trout, the Northern 

 Lake Trout, the Sea Trout, White or Silver Trout, the 

 Speckled or Bi-ook Trout, the Arctic Grayling, and the 

 Smelt, with other varieties, all different species, and some of 

 them differing greatly from the others in size and habits, 

 yet all belonging to the Salmon family. 



Probably nowhere on the inhabitable globe, unless it h^ 



