234 MARITIME PISCICULTURE. 



mud, where they lie till hunger drives them forth from 

 their retreats. 



The basins of the lagoon must be a delicious place 

 to the eels and the other species by which it is inha- 

 bited, seeing that they enter it at their birth, and 

 actually do not seek to leave until grown up, when, 

 their reproductive instinct impelling them to return to 

 the sea, advantage is taken of this to reap the harvest 

 at a time when they are so large as to be eatable. The 

 fishermen of Comacchio cannot speak precisely as to the 

 length of time required in order that the eel may attain, 

 its greatest size, some saying five years, and others 

 from eight to ten. But since M. Coste has called at- 

 tention to the advantages of introducing the breeding of 

 eels in the ponds, lakes, and marshes of La Pologne, it 

 has been repeatedly proved that young eels, placed in 

 basins and properly fed, will, in from four to five years, 

 attain the weight of four or five pounds ; so that one 

 pound (or 1800) of young eels will in this time produce 

 6562 Ib. of flesh, worth at least 41. M. Jourdier states 

 that young eels, warranted to arrive safe at their des- 

 tination, may be purchased by those engaged in pisci- 

 culture for forty francs the thousand ; so that one may 

 judge of the enormous profit of rearing eels. We are 

 quite aware that in this country the appetite for eels 

 requires to be created before we can hope to see an eel- 

 market. Though eaten in England, they are held an 

 abomination in Scotland ; and we verily believe that 

 most of us would as soon dine off the sea-serpent as 

 partake of eels grilled d la Comacchio. 



If the fishermen at Comacchio be unable to give pre- 

 cise details as to the growth of eels, it is not so with 

 mullets, which, next to eels, constitute their great har- 

 vest. Owing to special reasons, a portion of the young 

 of this fish is kept in a pond for a whole year, during 

 which it is possible to note their increase from time to 

 time. At the age of one year four mullets weigh a 



