was ended with the sight of my prize ; I the mud removed, as soon as the rain- 

 drew up a golden, look you, a fish all water begins to fill these lakes. They are 

 plated thick with gold. Gently I unhook- not produced in dry weather, not even in 

 ed him * * * then I dragged him on lakes that never become dry, for they live 

 shore with the ropes." on the rain-water. It is, therefore, plain 



I leave to the reader the pleasant task that their origin is not due to procreation 

 of comparing the ancient tackle with the or to eggs. In spite of this some people 

 modern. It must be said, however, that think that they are viviparous, because 

 the description is rather ideal for the worms have been found in the intestines 

 Mediterranean fisherman displays no of some eels, which they believe are the 

 science in landing his game, but simply young of the eel. This opinion, however, 

 throws it high and dry or breaks his is erroneous, for they are produced from 

 tackle. This fact is well attested for the the so-called 'bowels of the earth' (i. e. r 

 ancients, by several vase and wall paint- the earth-worms), the spontaneous prod- 

 ings portraying fishermen actually at uct of mud and moisture." 

 work. These paintings show us that the Turning now to the Romans, we find a 

 ancient outfit included a basket, frequent- somewhat different state of affairs, but 

 ly with a long handle, and a vase painting different only on the aesthetic side ; from 

 in Vienna undoubtedly suggests its use. a scientific or industrial point of view the 

 The man has caught a fish which he is Roman, though heir to all the Greek civ- 

 lifting straight up out of the water, at the ilization and learning, in this, as in many 

 same time he is reaching down with his other lines, made but slight advances, 

 basket, evidently to scoop up the fish just Fish culture never became a serious oc- 

 before it leaves the water, similar to the cupation among the Romans. It was a 

 practice in trout-fishing to-day. pastime, one of the many directions which 



Before passing over the Ionian Sea to their senseless luxury took rather than a 

 observe. what the Romans did in this field carefully directed effort to stock ponds 

 of activity, the quasi-scientific study of and rear fish for food, or as a means of 

 fishes among the Greeks, particularly that nature study. The immense ponds 

 of Aristotle, should claim our attention, were stocked with rare fish in preference 

 Compared with the work of the moderns to useful varieties. Next to the rare spe- 

 Aristotle's work was crude indeed. Es- cies those that could be tamed were in fa- 

 timated as the first attempts at building vor. A qualification of the- above state- 

 up a science his work deserves our ad- ments should be made probably, in favor 

 miration and, in view of the fact that his of the Romans who lived during the 

 writings were standard for nearly two early Republican period of whom Colum- 

 thousand years, it demands our respect, ella, a Roman writer, has the following 



Aristotle did his work in natural his- to say in his book entitled De Re Rustica : 

 tory under the patronage of King Philip 'The descendants of Romulus, although 

 of Macedon, who drew upon the re- they were country folk, took great pains 

 sources of the empire to provide him with in having upon their farms a sort of 

 rare or little known specimens from far abundance of everything which the in- 

 and wide. How some of his conclusions habitants of the city are wont to enjoy, 

 were based on insufficient data and are To this end they did not rest contented 

 consequently very inaccurate, or even with stocking with fish the ponds that 

 grotesque, his discussion of the eel will had been made for this purpose, but in 

 illustrate. It must not be taken as a fair their foresight went to the extent of sup- 

 sample of his work in general. In fact, it plying the ponds formed by nature with 

 is very unusual. "Among all the ani- the spawn of fish. By this means the 

 mals," he says, "which have blood, the eel lakes Velinus and Sabitinus, and likewise 

 is the only one which is not born of copu- Vulsmensis and Ciminus have furnished 

 lation or hatched from eggs. The cor- in great abundance not only catfish and 

 rectness of this statement is evident from goldfish, but also all the other varieties of 

 the fact that eels make their appearance fish which flourish in fresh water." Such 

 in marshy bodies of water, and that, too, were the practices of the Roman country 

 after all the water has been drawn off and folk in early times, but, strange as it may 



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