CHAPTER XXI 



DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROMAN AND MODERN 

 PISCICULTURE 



With the opinion held by some, that the method of breeding 

 fish employed by the Romans was practically the same as 

 that of the modern Pisciculturists, Badham ^ seems to agree, 

 when he remarks : " The plan of stocking rivers with fish 

 ah ovo has been, after the lapse of many centuries, revived by 

 two Vosges fishermen, Gehin and Remy," and " they have 

 thus re-established a very ancient practice, and succeeded in 

 stocking the streams of France." 



But this is a total misconception. It can only have arisen 

 from ignorance either of what is found in Latin writers, such as 

 Columella, or of what is the nature of the method used by 

 Remy and, with great improvements, by present Pisciculturists. 



Shortly, the Roman method collected from the bottom of 

 a river or a marsh eggs, already fertilised in the natural manner 

 by fish, and removed them to other lakes or vivaria. 



Remy and his successors catch and strip the females of their 

 eggs, which are pressed out into a pan. They then extrude 

 the milt of the male on to the eggs, in a proportion, differing 

 according to what fish are being spawned, of one male to one 

 or more female. They next place the eggs on perforated wire or 

 other trays fixed in long boxes, over and under which water 

 of a regulated temperature passes. ^ 



^ op. cit., p. 48. 



2 In the case of Trout, the ova can be successfully transported to South 

 Africa or even to New Zealand, as the period of incubation is a long one. 

 After hatching, the alevins, fry, or young fish can be utilised to stock fish 

 ponds, or other waters. 



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