184 DR. BRETT — FISH-HATCHING IN HEETFORDSHIEE. 



passing allusion to it. The only two of the animals just men- 

 tioned that it would be possible for us to cultivate here arc the 

 crayfish and the snail. The crayfish is plentiful in the Colne, 

 and I wonder that it is not caught for food. I have seen it at the 

 table d''h6te at Nancy, in France, and it makes a very pretty, if not 

 a very satisfying dish. No doubt it might be cultivated in our 

 streams in Hertfordshire to any extent. Pope says, "Let me to 

 crack live crayfish recommend." With regard to the snail I am 

 told that it is an esteemed article of food on the Continent among 

 what are called the Latin nations. I suppose nothing but ignorant 

 prejudice prevents the natives of Hertfordshire cultivating and 

 eating snails. I expect snail-culture was followed by the llomans 

 when they lived in our county, which they did for three or four 

 centuries. 



In the North of France and in Switzerland the apple snail, 

 Helix pomatia, is a much-prized mollusc as an article of diet. I 

 should think, with a little care, favoured by our humid climate, 

 we might soon get a good quantity of edible snails. I have had 

 an instance of the fondness of the Eomans for molluscs brought 

 before my notice by the Rev. James Clutterbuck. There was 

 found in a field in Oxfordshire a silver Roman spoon. I send 

 round a drawing of it, and also three silver Roman spoons brought 

 by the President from his Museum. You see that one end is shaped 

 like our spoons to eat eggs with ; the other end is pointed to hook 

 out the snails and molluscs with, in the same manner that we 

 now use a pin to pick out the winkles which, I suppose, are sea 

 snails. The name of spoon. Cochleare, was derived from its shell- 

 ing properties, as may be seen from an epigram of Martial : 



" Sum cochleis habilis, sed nee minus utilis ovis, 

 Isamquid scis potius cur cocJtleare voccr.'' 

 which may be freely translated, 



" I am clever at wiukles, and for eggs not less fit, 

 Then why I'm called cochleare question your wit." 



I have now, in a fragmentary manner, endeavoured to direct 

 your attention to fish-culture, and although I may not have 

 added to your knowledge, yet if I have excited interest enough to 

 cause some of you to study the subject, I shall consider the time 

 not ill spent. 



AVe should make use of our natural advantages, for our county, 

 as Chauncy says, " is pleasantly water'd with many small Brooks 

 and Rivers, which .... produce Variety of Fish, as Eels, Millers- 

 thumbs, Cray-fish, Trouts, Gudgeons, Breame, Carps, Tench, Pearch, 

 Jioacli, and the River Lea, some Salmons ; . . . . and if tlieso Fish 

 had free Passage by the ^[ills, .... they would greatly encrease 

 in that River, and be of great benefit, as well to the City of London 

 as the Country ; for some Water-men have observed, that they 

 delight in this Stream and play much about those Sluices near 

 Walthamy* 



* Ilist. Anti(i. Herts., p. 2. 



