INTRODUCTION. 7 



Chinaman wished to stock a pool with fish he repaired 

 to some stream where the latter were known to 

 abound, and placed in it bundles of straw, which 

 were soon covered with spawn. After a certain 

 time the straw was withdrawn and placed in his 

 pool, where the eggs were hatched, and the young 

 fish soon became large enough to satisfy their 

 master's appetite. 



The writings of Coste, Millet, Gehin, Milne 

 Edwards, De Quatrefages, Remy, and others,* have 

 not only taught us how to stock our streams with 

 magnificent salmon, trout, grayling, etc., but lead 

 us to expect that there will soon exist as many 

 different varieties of trout, salmon, perch, tench, etc., 

 as we have actually of dogs or horses. For certain 

 closely allied species have been crossed so as to 

 produce new varieties or races of fish never before 

 seen. 



Similar experiments are being made with inferior 

 animals. The attention of philosophers and practical 

 men is now directed to the latter. We speak now 

 of the amelioration of some insect species, of the 

 cultivation of a mollusc or a polype. We begin to 

 see how we can profit by infusoria or some other 

 animalculas. 



The following pages will, I trust, give some idea 



* Quite recently Mr. Francis and Mr. Buckland have again 

 brought forward the subject of Pisciculture in England. 



