46 



regulations, with fish, for the recreation and benefit of the 

 community." 



That I am not singular in the notion that the National 

 Fish Culture Association was formed with the exclusive 

 object indicated by its title, is shown by the following records. 



In the Field of October 7th, 1882, appeared a letter from 

 Mr. R. B. Marston, who wrote as follows: "A month or 

 two ago, Mr. Francis Francis suggested to me that I should 



get up a National Fish Cultural Association Mr. 



Chambers and I have taken the matter in hand, and we 

 shall shortly send out a circular calling a meeting of pisci- 

 culturists, and explaining the proposed association, the sole 

 object of which will be the improvement and extension of 

 pisciculture in all its branches." 



This was followed by a letter in the Field of October 14, 

 wherein Col. Stuart Wortley asked, " If Mr. Marston is 

 able to carry out his proposed Fish Culture Association, 

 may I suggest one of the principal points for inquiry and 

 improvement should be the transport of sea fish {ox turning 

 dozon alive ? " 



To this Mr. Oldham Chambers replied in the Field of 

 October 21, by saying that "The subject not only of the 

 transport of our deep-sea food-fishes, but also of their arti- 

 ficial propagation, has received my attention ; and I certainly 

 should not deem the Association complete without it 

 embraced this branch of the science." 



In December 1882, a circular signed by Messrs. W. 

 Oldham Chambers and R. B. Marston — a copy of which 

 appeared in the Field of December 16 — was issued to 

 gentlemen "interested in the subject of fish culture," 

 stating that a meting would be held at Fishmongers' 

 Hall on December 20th, with the " object " of forming a 

 " National Fish Culture Association of Great Britain and 

 Ireland." This circular proceeds : — "We feel sure you will 

 agree with us that such a society is wanted, and has an 

 immense field open for it. At present all British effort in 

 fish-culture is individual effort, and not only do the public 

 generally know little of what is being done, but our fish- 

 culturists themselves are often quite ignorant of what other 

 labourers in the same field are doing ; as proof of this, we 

 may mention the difficulty we have experienced in getting 

 the names and addresses of fish-culturists, and we are 

 aware that there are many whose names we have failed to 

 obtain. 



" We know from experience that in this country an in- 

 creasing interest is being taken in fish-culture and fish- 



