158 THE HATCHING OF FISH. 



and more recently of various writers in England, among 

 whom may be mentioned 'Ephemera, or the Book of the 

 Salmon ; ' Mr Francis ; and, latest of all, Mr Buckland, 

 whose good-natured rollicking style pleases the general 

 reader, while his extensive and accurate information 

 satisfies the more scientific inquirer. We hail him as 

 an ally, and claim the fulfilment of this promise "The 

 oyster must and shall be cultivated in this country. I 

 propose shortly to take the matter in hand. M. Coste 

 and the French pisciculturists have done so much that 

 we ought to be ashamed of ourselves for being all 

 behind-hand in this important matter." 



In Scotland we have especial reason to look foolish 

 and to be ashamed : in the management of our fisheries 

 we are as great fools as our worst enemies could wish 

 us to be. Well may Mr Buckland declare 



"We have been asleep we have had gold nuggets 

 under our noses, and have not stooped to pick them up. 

 Tons of fish, worth thousands of pounds, only want a 

 net placed round them to be converted into bank-notes ; 

 but they want looking after, they want cultivation. 

 You must not kill your 'golden fish' (the 'golden goose' 

 may now retire on half-pay) ; you must not watch the 

 spawning fish-mother to her nest, nor must you permit 

 others to do it for the sake of her unwholesome car- 

 cass (for which the French cook at the Palais Koyal 

 will give you a franc or two) destroy her, and at the 

 game time thousands of young fish. 



" O fortunatos nimium, sua si bona norlnt ! would dear 

 old Virgil have said of the aquce-culturist, if he had 

 known what we now know. You must not, friend, 

 put your heel upon yon mass of tiny round balls, which, 

 if, properly treated, would most assuredly in about four 

 years develop themselves into huge, silver-coated sal- 

 mon, and, what is more, will cost you not a penny for 

 food or keep." 



We demur to the statement that it may take "about 

 four years" to develop a tiny smolt into "a huge sal- 



