a large proportion of the human race in various parts of 

 the world. 



Fish as Food / Is not the fact thus tersely denoted, 

 the essential and practical expression of the entire 

 organisation which this great Exhibition presents ? True, 

 there are other modes of utilising fish besides that 

 universal one of eating it ; of which manifold illustrations 

 may be seen here. But these exceptional uses are com- 

 paratively so insignificant, that the fact that fish is food 

 for man must be accepted as the chief motive for bringing 

 together this comprehensive collection of all matters 

 pertaining to the natural history, the culture, and the 

 various systems of capturing and preserving fish, con- 

 tributed from every quarter of the globe, 



It is our business here to-day to ascertain, so far as 

 available data enable us to do so, what are the nutritive 

 qualities which fish possesses, rendering it serviceable to 

 the consumer ; and how far these qualities can be best 

 utilised by art. Further, inasmuch as the appropriateness 

 of food for every individual is determined chiefly by its 

 corresponding with the demand which his habits of life 

 and occupation entail, and which vary so greatly in every 

 population, an attempt will be made to indicate in general 

 terms, under what circumstances fish appears to be most 

 desirable to select as a chief article of diet. 



I shall first endeavour to appreciate the value of fish 

 generally as a source to the human body, of nutritive 

 material, by comparing it with that which is supplied by 

 other well-known forms of food. Then the leading charac- 

 teristics of some different kinds of fish more or less 

 available for the inhabitants of Great Britain will be 

 considered. 



And, lastly, some hints will be presented in relation to 



