204 ANIMAL LIFE AND HUMAN PROGRESS 



Bureau's plans ; and the autumn of 1916 witnessed the extra- 

 ordinary sight of New England fishermen going out specially 

 for gray-fish and selling their catch at remunerative prices for 

 food." It soon became evident that the demand far surpassed 

 the supply. The canned fish met with a ready sale and were 

 soon all disposed of, as " the goods proved to be not only one 

 of the best canned products on the market, but also one of the 

 most economical to the consumer, who could buy at retail for 

 10 cents a can containing 14 ounces net weight of fish." Again, 

 " although the canned product had been known to the trade 

 and public only since October, in April 1917 it was known to 

 be handled by dealers in 128 cities and towns in New York 

 and Pennsylvania alone, and by May the fish was on sale by 

 retailers in thirty states, and the District of Columbia." 



Many other instances of the energetic and successful 

 exploitation of American fisheries in the interests both of the 

 fishermen and the public might be given, but these two 

 examples, both bearing newly coined names which have 

 rapidly become familiar to the public, must suffice. 



There are many minor industries round our own coasts, 

 such as the Morecambe Bay sprat fishery mentioned above, 

 that would well repay further investigation both scientific 

 and commercial. It is probable that much more use could be 

 made of our shallow coastal waters and our comparatively 

 barren shores between tide-marks than is the case at present. 

 Let me take one example from shell-fish cultivation a large 

 subject in itself. Any one who has tramped up the west coast 

 of France visiting the various fishing centres will remember the 

 prosperous oyster industries at Arcachon, Marennes, Le 

 Croisic and Auray, and the extraordinary development of 

 mussel-culture by the " buchot " system on the mud-flats of 

 the bay of Aiguillon. It seems difficult to find localities on 

 our coasts where the French buchot system could be worked 

 successfully, but some experiments on the Lancashire coast 

 have shown that transplantation of mussels from overcrowded 

 beds to suitable ground not occupied by shell-fish may lead to 

 greatly increased growth and a corresponding improvement in 



