Italy. 283 



fisheries, have a special importance in Italy on account of the number and extension of salt 

 and brackish-water lagoons near the mouths of rivers or elsewhere ; such are the extensive 

 valli of Comacchio, Codigoro, and those further north joining on to the Venetian lagoons ; the 

 large Sardinian stagni, as those of Cabras (Oristano) and Cagliari ; the stagni of Orbetello 

 and Burano in Tuscany, that of Lesina in Puglia, and others ; and in a way the Mare piccolo 

 of Taranto. Fish, Crustacea, and mollusks are the product of these fisheries, which also give 

 occasion to a special kind of pisciculture, of which anon ; I need here only dwell especially 

 on some of the former as yielding the more valuable produce. Many species of Crustacea 

 are taken, and I may mention Carcinus msenas, one of the more abundant, used however chiefly 

 as bait ; while Eriphia spinifrons, Crangon vulgaris, and Squilla mantis, are esteemed as food. 

 The more remarkable mollusks belong to the genera, Sepiola, Sepia, Cerithium, Gibbula, 

 Solen, Tapes, Cardium, Mytilus, and Pecten. Not a few fishes generally considered marine 

 enter the brackish water lagoons and live and thrive there in company with other species 

 usually classed amongst freshwater creatures. I may mention the genera, Labrax, Mugil, 

 Atlierina, Solea, Pleuronectes, Esox, Leuciscus, Anguilla. In purely saltwater lagoons some of 

 the finer sorts of game sea-fish abundantly resort, as Mullus, Chrysophrys Umbrina, Corvina, 

 Rhombus, and several species of Gobius, especially G. paganellus and G. ophiocephalus. The 

 special fisheries of greatest economic value undertaken in Italian lagoons and estuaries are 

 the following. 1. Grey Mullet Fishery. The genus Mugil is richly represented in our Ichthyo- 

 fauna ; the six species, M. cephalus, M. capito, M. auratus, M. saliens, M. labeo, and M. chelo, 

 are common, the first four abundant, and live not only in the sea but frequent brackish 

 waters and enter rivers. In some of the valli, lagoons and stagni, their capture is on a very 

 large scale, and gives a notable produce ; a peculiar net, the mugginara, is usually employed. 

 Prof. Targioni Tozzetti graphically describes one of these fisheries, which he witnessed 

 at Cabras in Sardinia : the proceedings resembled on a smaller scale those at a Tonnara, 

 but the men dived and seized under water the mullets imprisoned in the mugginara, the scene 

 being a most curious and exciting one ; on that occasion 1200 kilogrammes of fish were 

 secured and considered a poor result. 2. Eel Fisheries. The common eel (Anguilla vulgaris), 

 with its many varieties and sub-species, is one of the most common fishes in Italy ; it is 

 caught in the sea, in brackish waters, and in fresh water, but more especially in lagoons and 

 estuaries, and affords one of the more important items of our fisheries. It is now well known 

 that the eel reproduces itself at sea, the young fry entering rivers and lagoons in myriads, 

 and along the coast between Leghorn and Viareggio, in canals leading from the sea into the 

 Arno and adjacent lagoons. This gives occasion to a most peculiar fishery, that of the Ceche, 

 such being given the name to these young vermiform and semi-transparent eels. During 

 the months of December, January, and February, they swarm in countless numbers in such 

 localities, where, for special local reasons, their capture is allowed during the period 

 designated. In the so-called lagune, campi or valli of Comacchio, extensive salt and 

 brackish water lagoons at the delta of the Po, between the branches called Po di Volcano and 

 Po di Primaro, eel fishery is an ancient and important industry. Only the adults are 

 caught, and principally at two periods, autumn and Lent. To give an idea of the produce, 

 I may state that the valli belonging to Comacchio alone give a mean annual produce 

 of 825,000 kilogrammes of peserved eels, valued at 735,000 lire. In 1871, 1,307,558 kilo- 

 grammes of eels were got. 



V. FRESHWATER FISHERIES. I have already stated the reasons why these are not of great 

 importance in Italy ; except in the northern portion of our country, the rivers are insignificant 

 and the lakes of small extent ; the freshwater fish fauna is besides not rich in species of 

 economic value, such as elsewhere in Europe form the object of an important piscatorial 

 industry, as salmon and sturgeon are entirely wanting or not abundant. As I have before 

 mentioned, for obvious reasons, special regulations, distinct from those relating to sea fisheries, 

 regulate those in rivers and lakes. The fishermen on fresh waters are far less distinct as 

 a class than those who seek their living on the sea, yet in some localities they also form a 

 distinct part of the community. The boats they employ, with their flat bottoms and 

 inelegant shapes, rarely rowed, and more often poled, are very different from the sea-going 

 ones. Again, the nets they use are often different and always of smaller size. In fresh 

 waters it is easier to employ illegal methods for capturing fish; and various poisonous 



