REID — NATURAL HISTORY AND THE FISHERIES. 133 



prevail (and no doubt there are many) would be corrected and the 

 great deficiencies gradually supplemented, until in time an army of 

 fishermen would surround our coasts, who were well educated in 

 their calling:. 



Then give them facilities for making known the facts gleaned 

 during their lonely watch and work on the deep sea, and prosperity 

 would continually attend instead of either a feast or a famine. 



Continued supply would extend the demand, and a good and 

 cheap food make an independent, happy, wealthy, and numerous 

 population. 



It would neither be costly nor difficult to initiate this improve- 

 ment, for there is a series of school books that treat on this subject, 

 that should be placed in the hands of every scholar who has learned 

 to read. A Hugh Miller is wanted to do for Marine Zoology 

 what has been by him so efficiently done for Geology, and since 

 Nova Scotia has produced naturalists, whose fame is not confined 

 to this hemisphere, we need not fear but a fair opportunity alone is 

 needed to bring forth other minds who can by observation in their 

 every day labour, enrich science, their country, and themselves, by 

 teaching us that of which we now know but little. 



The United States Government, following in the track of that 

 of France and England, have in late years devoted much attention 

 to the food fishes that live in the inland waters and rivers, and as a 

 result of the increased knowledge, means have been taken to fill the 

 depleted waters and keep them continually stocked. The success 

 has been so great, that the Dominion Government, following in 

 their wake, has energetically set to work to repair the ravages that 

 ignorance has made in what was at one time a very large source 

 of income, and plentiful tables ; and before many years we confi- 

 dently hope that a salmon will not be a curiosity, nor prohibited 

 article of diet to the mass of the people. A fish requires no expense 

 to fit it for use but that alone of catching it ; an ox or a sheep 

 demands continued care and attention for years, and at a great 

 cost for food — yet 20 cents per pound is rather a common price 

 for salmon, and from 5 to 10 cents per pound for what really 

 costs the most for its production. The reason is evident — the 



