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I will divide my subject into two parts : 

 First : I will give a rapid survey of the present 

 state of pond culture. 



Second : I will have the honor to show you the 

 new method which I have evolved from experiments 

 continued about ten 3'ears at the Aquarium of the 

 Trocadero in the rearing and reproduction of the Sal- 

 monidae. 



I have often asked myself why the monks espe- 

 cially selected the carp among the numerous fishes 

 which inhabit our fresh waters. Of course we can 

 offer nothing but conjecture upon this point. My be- 

 lief is that the carp of the fourteenth century was not 

 exactly the fish which we know today, and that it was 

 distinguished then from other species by qualities 

 which it no longer possesses. 



I fear that what I am going to say will excite con- 

 tradiction, and I will be sorry if any one attributes to 

 me bad intentions with regard to a fish which gives 

 pleasure to the angler and is sought after by many 

 people ; but the love of truth leads me to state that 

 from the culinary point of view and as a food the carp 

 is far from occupying the first place among the fresh 

 water fishes which are offered in our markets. It 

 ranks in the quality of its flesh below the salmon, 

 trout, eel, and frequently even the perch, gudgeon, and 

 barb. If any one disbelieves this statement it can be 

 sustained by a glance at the list of prices of fish in our 

 markets. It will be seen that while a kilogram of 

 salmon costs ten francs, of trout eight francs, of eel 

 seven francs, and of gudgeon five francs, a kilogram of 

 carp costs about three francs. These are the average 

 prices of the Paris market. Three francs a kilogram ! 

 Who hopes to establish that at this price the carp is 

 an advantageous food? Leaving out the always dis- 



