76 AMERICAN FISHES. 



ments as these last-named would be success ; although I gather from a 

 note of Dr. Bethune's, to his beautiful edition of Walton, that he 

 rather leans to the opinion that the various species of this family were 

 more capable of intermixture, and more accustomed to interbreed, than 

 I am disposed to credit. 



At all events, there would be great interest and entertainment in the 

 instituting such a series of experiments ; and the result, whatever it 

 should be, could not fail of importance. 



That those which I first mentioned are eminently practicable, is not 

 to be doubted ; and there is strong reason for believing that this 

 science was fully understood, and constantly practiced, like many 

 other good things now forgotten, or, as we flatter ourselves, recently 

 discovered, by the monks of old. 



That Carp were introduced from the continent to England, by the 

 monks, is nearly certain ; this, however, could be accomplished with- 

 out recourse to any artificial modes of producing or raising the young 

 fry. There are, however, many and powerful reasons for believing 

 that the Grayling Thymallus Vcxillifer, the Chsur^Salmo Umbla, the 

 Gwyniad, Coregonus Fera, and perhaps, also, the Vendace, Coregonus 

 Willughbii,t}ie Pollan, Coregonus Pollan, and the Powan, Coregonus 

 Lacepedeij were also introduced by the same agency from foreign coun- 

 tries. This belief is supported by the fact, that these fish exist only 

 in isolated, and often distant waters ; sometimes in only one of two 

 neighboring rivers, whereof that which contains thein is apparently 

 the least adapted to their habits ; but always in such waters as had 

 many or distinguished monastic institutions on their banks. While 

 England was Catholic, great attention was paid to the raising and fat- 

 tening the choicest varieties of fresh-water fish ; an art which has sunk 

 into neglect, partly owing, doubtless, to the abolition of fast-days, and 

 partly to the great facility with which .the finest sea-fish are trans- 

 ported throughout the country. 



If the fish I have last mentioned were so introduced, it must have 

 been by some such process as that which I have here described ; for 

 they are all of so sensitive and delicate a nature, that it is with the 

 greatest difficulty they can be kept, alive for an hour or two after 

 being captured, and. that only by a constant change of fresh spring 

 water; circumstances which would have made it utterly impossible 



