THE CULTIVATION OF SEA FISH 309 



I have caught them little longer than a lead pencil in a pond 

 miles from any other water, in the middle of a town, and ten 

 years after any were put into it ; and those put into it were then 

 all four or five ti^mes the size. I confess that the life-history of 

 the eel seems to be so well established that such a fact as this 

 should be impossible. But it is a fact all the same. 



One point in connection with the introduction of fish into 

 waters which have previously not contained them should never 

 be overlooked, and that is, will the fish introduced be likely to 

 injure other fish, and will the final result do more harm than 

 good ? For instance, it will be seen from the particulars I have 

 given that the Atlantic shad, since it has been planted on the 

 Pacific coast of North America, has spread for about two thousand 

 miles. In this case there seems to be every reason to be satis- 

 fied with this wide distribution of a valuable food-fish ; but 

 the introduction of the rabbit into New Zealand and the 

 European sparrow into the United States are specimens of the 

 grave blunders of acclimatisation which should never be for- 

 gotten. 



In conclusion, I think that it is probable a great deal more 

 will be done in the way of cultivating our sea fisheries by 

 protection and regulation and investigation than by actual 

 artificial propagation, but that the success of our American 

 cousins proves unquestionably that there are very profitable 

 openings for increasing our food-supply even in that direction. 



