AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 457 



time. The sea not only gives wings to commerce but it furnishes 

 lis with the oil that feeds our lamps, the turtles and terrapins, the 

 lobster, the crab, the prawn, the parent of the shrimp and other 

 crustacese — the oyster and other shell fish, and an endless, variety 

 of the finny tribes, which serve to cheapen our markets and afibrd 

 wholesome food to the poor, and delicacies to the rich. 



"Jacobi, an eminent German naturalist, after having been en- 

 gaged thirty years in experiments on artificial fish breeding, com- 

 municated his discovery to Fourcroy in 1758. This communica- 

 tion was written in the German language. A Latin translation 

 was furnished by the Count de Goldstein. Its title was 'An essay 

 on the artificial fecundation of fishes' eggs and on the employment 

 of the process of stocking rivers and ponds.' 



"The whole process of Jacobi was carried on near Nortolem, in 

 the kingdom of Hanover. He not only stocked the river with 

 salmon by his artificial process, but rendered them an object of 

 considerable commerce. England to reward his services granted 

 him a pension. 



"The details of the process of Jacobi are as full in every par- 

 ticular as those recently published in France as tne results of Remy 

 and Gehin, &c." Dr. Bachman further says, "In 1838 we attended 

 the meeting of the Zoological Society, in London, of which we were 

 a corresponding membel-., The whole subject, which had awa- 

 kened interest in consequence of the decline of salmon in most of 

 their rivers, was there discussed and regularly published in their 

 proceedings. The whole process of artificial fish breeding was fully 

 understood and familiarly spoken of, as facts well known to men 

 of science, and successfully practiced not only in Hanover but in 

 Great Britain." 



We have thus endeavored to show not only the importance but 

 the feasibility of stocking the rivers of our State according to this 

 simple process. It is well known that the salmon thrives and 

 propagates in waters in this latitude, and is identical with the 

 European salmon, to the successful propagation of which we have 

 referred. Enough has been adduced we hope to call the atten- 

 tion of future legislators to the subject, and we hope at some time 

 not far distant to see such protective laws enacted as will enable 



