66 • FISHES AND FISHING. 



patrician tables, or were preserved in ponds to be 

 angled for by Eoman nobles, and even emperors. — 

 See Oppian's '* Halieuticks," Book i. v. 75 to 95. 

 Columella was a pbilosopber of Cadiz, and was the 

 author of a treatise on Agriculture ; he flourished 

 about A.D. 43. 



I do not pretend to decide to whom we owe the 

 revival or the invention of the method of breeding fish 

 artificially in our country ; but I think Mr. Boccius 

 has certainly brought it to great perfection in the 

 south, as many gentlemen have in the north, and on 

 the continent, and they have very much simplified 

 the process : his work on the subject, published by 

 Yan Yoorst, of Paternoster Eow, Mr. Ash worth's, and 

 those of several other men of science, are very expla- 

 natory, and to which I must refer. 



Samuel Gurney, Esq., Jun., a few years ago, gave me 

 the egg of a trout, which had been thus artificially 

 vivified in the river "Wandle, upon the plan of Mr. 

 Boccius. A sort of fine fin was attached to the egg, 

 which was of a light reddish stone-colour, so far 

 transparent, that the circulation of the blood in a pul- 

 satory manner could be seen by a magnifying glass of 

 very moderate power. The phial in which it was, 

 being placed in a horizontal position, it moved from 

 end to end with great velocity, but for want of a proper 

 current of aerated water, it only lived a few days. 



