Great Britain Class IV. Aquaria. 87 



of 1856 for ever set at rest all difficulties as to artificial impregnation, although probably 

 fifteen years elapsed before his dry method was adopted out of Kussia ; and to Mr. George 

 Sheppard Page the credit is due of making known M. Veraskie's experiments in America. 

 Results on that continent may perhaps best be expressed by quoting a letter from Professor 

 Spencer Baird, Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, to the Commissioner of 

 Fisheries of Canada. "In the Sacramento Eiver we are absolutely certain of our ground, 

 " having brought up the supply of salmon to more than its pristine condition of abundance, 

 " by planting about two millions of young fish every year. The catch there has increased 

 " in five years from five million (5,000,000) pounds to fifteen million (15,000,000) pounds ; 

 " and in 1881 there was more fish than could be utilized in all the canning establishments on 

 "the river.'* One of the most important points in the study of fish-culture is the selection 

 of the most suitable fish for the purpose in view, and the acclimatisation of new species, to be 

 permanently beneficial, requires great knowledge and care. The cultivation of the food of 

 fishes in fresh water, and its study in salt, will we hope receive great stimulus from this 

 Exhibition. In both branches there is a rich harvest to be gathered. The migrations of 

 many species of sea fish depending principally and the quantities of fresh water fish a 

 given space will carry depending entirely on the feeding. Salmon depend on. their spawning 

 rivers for quantity, and on their sea-feeding for size and quality. Oysters frequently thrive 

 and fatten best under conditions unfavourable to their reproduction, hence the kindred 

 problems of increasing the supply of salmon and of oysters have something in common, and 

 in future will be largely dependent on artificial culture for their production, and on careful 

 legislation for their increase and development. Salmon ladders will always continue necessary 

 aids to sport, but the rapid strides with which artificial breeding is advancing will prevent 

 their insufficiency telling much longer on our food supply. France, already at the head of 

 oyster culture, is again moving in the matter of pisciculture ; and M. Chabot-Karlin, in tho 

 Bulletin du Ministere de 1'Agriculture, 1882, reports on the project of forming sixteen chairs of 

 pisciculture throughout France, and in the first bulletin for 1883 he reports that in Belgium 

 the government has, by the creation of a vast piscicultural establishment, commenced the 

 restocking of the Meuse Superieure that in the grand duchy of Luxemburg the best 

 practical results in Europe have been obtained that in Germany success has been obtained 

 by official encouragement to private societies, of which that of Metz offers a valuable model 

 that Holland, by a system of prizes for stocking waters, has produced the best results, and, 

 through its concessions of the public domain, has carried oyster culture to the highest point 

 in Europe. Of the countries not mentioned in the report Norway and Sweden are fully 

 alive to the value of pisciculture; Austria also possesses many establishments. Russia has 

 long given much study to fish-culture: the inspector of fisheries in Finland, Professor 

 Malmgren, has just issued an important report. Salmonidse have been successfully introduced 

 into India, first by Professor Day, and to the Antipodes by Messrs. Francis Francis and Youl. 

 It requires only the collection and ' distribution of the knowledge of the world's work in 

 fish-culture as we hope it will be collected and distributed through this Exhibition to 

 make an acre of water more valuable than an acre of land, and the toilers of the sea reap 

 many fold their present harvest. 



J. R. G. MAITLAND. 

 AQUARIA. 



IT was not until the Executive Committee of the International Fisheries Exhibition became 

 aware of the immense size which it was rapidly attaining, and of the vast national, not to 

 speak of international importance with which the undertaking had become invested, that 

 the idea of erecting a series of sea and fresh-water aquaria was practically taken into 

 consideration. Nor was it after either the first or second anxious discussion that the 

 Committee felt justified in incurring the large outlay and truly gigantic amount of labour, 

 both theoretical and practical, which the task of building even a small aquarium under 

 favourable conditions necessitates. A very little thought will suffice to realize how arduous 

 and varied were the duties which by such a resolution the Executive Committee under- 

 took. Their first act was to select a Sub-Committee formed of those gentlemen who were not 

 only eminently qualified and capable, but also willing to plan and execute the best system 

 y which the numerous difficulties caused by an unsuitable locality could be most easily 

 combated. The list of this Committee included the following well-known names, who have 



