[9] REPOPULATING BELGIAN WATERS. 823 



iiig the water impure are not, strictly speaking, comparable, because 

 manufactures are private enterprises whilst water-courses and fish are 

 of general use to all the inhabitants of the regions through which the 

 rivers flow. 



Soon after the Academy had passed the resolution referred to we re- 

 reived the programme of the Great International Exposition of the 

 Products and Apparatus of Fisheries which was to open in London on 

 the 1st May, 1883. It has given me great satisfaction to find in this 

 programme two paragraphs which agree entirely with the demands of 

 the Belgian Academy. Under Class IV (pisciculture) we read (division 

 39): ''It is desired to show a system for destroying the hurtful efiects 

 to fish of rivers and streams impregnated with water from sewers, 

 chemical and other products, a system illustrated by models and de- 

 signs." In division 40 we read the request for the solution of a problem 

 intimately connected with the one just mentioned, viz, "physico-chem- 

 ical researches of the quality of fresh and sea water which is hurtful 

 to aquatic aninals," &c. 



The Belgian Government, recognizing the necessity that our country 

 should not remain behindhand in this great movement which is going on 

 everywhere, has appointed a commission of six members to study the 

 questions relating to the repopulation of our water-courses. 



This commission is composed of Lieutenant-General Baron Goethals, 

 president: Baron de Selys-Longchamps, jiresident of the Senate and 

 member of the Academy; Willequet, member of the Chamber of Eejj- 

 resentatives from Ghent; Edouard von Beneden, professor of the Uni- 

 versity of Li^ge, member of the Academy; De Clercq, inspector-general 

 of bridges and roads, Brussels ; Emile Gens, doctor of natural sciences, 

 professor at Verviers; Leyder, professor of the Agricultural School of 

 Gemblous; Mousel, inspector of waters and forests, Arlon; Denis, mer- 

 chant pisciculturist, Brussels ; and Bernard, chief of division in the 

 department of the interior, secretary. This commission, appointed Oc- 

 tober 27, 1882, has already held several meetings, at each of which dif- 

 ferent communications have been made, and have led to discussions 

 having for their object the study of the proper measures which should 

 be taken to satisfy the wishes of the Government. We have reason to 

 believe that this activity will not relax, and that active work will soon 

 be begun. 



Here follows the programme for competing for the prize, adopted by 

 the Academy : 



ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, LITERATURE, AND FINE ARTS OF 



BELGIUM. 



Class of Sciences — Extraordinary competition for 1884. 



The Government has proposed and the Chambers have passed a law 

 which has for its object the preservation of fish and the repopulation 

 of our rivers. 



