264 



NUTRITIVE POWERS OP FISH. 



solid contents in one hundred parts of various articles 

 of food, derived from the published tables of Professor 

 Brande and Dr. John Davy, from which the propor- 

 tional amount of nutriment in each may be inferred. 

 Fractional parts are purposely omitted. 



But an interesting communication on this subject 

 has very recently been published in the " Transactions 

 of the Royal Society of Edinburgh," contributed by 

 Dr. John Davy, and read in April, 1853, the import- 

 ance of which will, it is hoped, be an excuse for this 

 partial reproduction. 



" What are the nutritive qualities of fish, compared 

 with other kinds of animal food ? Do different species 

 of fish differ materially in degree in nutritive power ? 

 Have fish, as food, any peculiar or special properties ? 

 These are questions, amongst many others, which may 

 be asked, but which, in the present state of our know- 

 ledge, I apprehend it would be difficult to answer in a 

 manner at all satisfactory. 



" On the present occasion, I shall attempt little more 



