cess employed for the artificial fecundation of the eggs of 

 fish, do not fear, sir, to show yourself more equitable than 

 certain French savans who have occupied themselves with 

 this subject have hitherto been : do not fear to proclaim 

 aloud that it was in a village of the department of the 

 Vosges that the problem of the artificial production of the 

 eggs of fish was solved. In so doing you will be the organ 

 of the truth ; and the members of the Institute of France 

 may do what they please ; but they will not be able to de- 

 ceive any except the superficial men who do not go to the 

 b'ottom of things. 



" I repeat what I have so often said the problem of the 

 artificial fecundation of the eggs of fish was only seen, and 

 very imperfectly solved, by all the savans who have occupied 

 themselves with it up to the present time. Spallanzani's 

 experiments on this subject were not at all conclusive ; and 

 they were more connected with his experiments on electri- 

 city than with the solution of a problem of which he thought 

 only as accessory to a more important matter. The re- 

 searches of Rusconi and Jacobi are nearly in the same case ; 

 and though G-olstein, towards the middle of the last century, 

 obtained results more satisfactory, it is certain that he de- 

 duced no practical consequences from them, and that since 

 then the question has remained in the same state. 



" What proves this, is a paper read to the Institute in 

 1848 by M. de Quatrefages. If at that period the solution 

 of the problem had been found, that savant would not have 

 failed to have said it ; whilst, on the contrary, he proves at 

 every line that he considered the solution as still to be found, 

 and he even indicated the means by which it might be ar- 

 rived at. 



" Well, sir, equity requires that it shall be known that 

 at that period two simple Vosgien fishermen, Eemy and 

 Grehin, of La Bresse, by means of care, practical observa- 

 tions, patience, and perseverance, succeeded in finding what 



