228 Dr. MacCulloch on the Changing 



the water into which they enter, the whiting as well as the cod 

 might possibly learn to inhabit our lakes or rivers, and thus 

 become among the most accessible as it is among the most deli- 

 cate of fishes. If the smelt could be naturalized in ponds, 

 as I have here rendered more than probable, it would, from 

 the esteem in which it is held, be a peculiarly desirable acqui- 

 sition. The hints contained in this paper may possibly in- 

 duce others, who have the means in their power, to assist in the 

 execution of a set of trials which can succeed only in the hands of 

 many, and which must necessarily be the work of time. 



It has been suggested that as the flavour of fresh-water fish is 

 far inferior to that of the marine species, the effect of naturaliza- 

 tion would be to diminish their value as articles of food. This 

 does not absolutely follow, although it may be thought probable from 

 the case of the mullet above-mentioned, and by the fact that the 

 flavour of the salmon is constantly diminishing from the time it has 

 quitted the sea. If such should prove to be the case, it might 

 indeed diminish the value of the acquisition, but it would not 

 therefore destroy it ; nor is it likely that a smelt would ever sink 

 to the scale of a gudgeon, or a whiting to that of a roach. 



I have already shewn, however, that this deterioration of quality, 

 so far from being probable, is not at all likely to occur ; since with 

 this single exception, supposed to have occurred in Guernsey, and 

 which is probably the report of prejudice, the flavour is really im- 

 proved in all the cases where the experiment has been fairly tried ; 

 and since the transportation, in Sicily, is made with this very object 

 and no other. At any rate, let the trials be made before any 

 such condemnatory judgment is passed. 



I will only further remark here, that there is no very good reason 

 why the turtle should not be naturalized. What an acquisition 

 this would be, it may be left to the Court of Aldermen to deckjje. 

 The animals of hot climates, that live in air, have been so ; and 

 and why the submarine, or amphibious ones should not equally 

 admit of this change of habits, I know not, and nobody else does. 

 The turtle might take its place alongside of the peacock and the 

 pintado, and with his fellow turtles of the land; while, if he chose 



