134 REID NATURAL HISTORY AND THE FISHERIES. 



natural history of the latter has been long and carefully studied, is 

 more easily acquired, and has received (and justly so) the most 

 fostering care of Governments and Societies. The other we would 

 know nothing about unless for the energy of some gentlemen who 

 at great inconvenience, time and labour (for which they receive no 

 remuneration) have gathered a few facts, meagre indeed, but all we 

 have. In this Province we are greatly indebted to Dr. B. Gilpin, 

 who in a series of papers read before this Society on the food fishes 

 of Nova Scotia has given us the result of his observations and that 

 of those who have preceded him, making a valuable contribution to 

 our knowledge. 



It is high time that government should essay some practical 

 assistance to the deep sea as well as inland fisheries, for it is indeed 

 the main stay, the great export of this country. 



There is another subject that most pressingly demands our 

 attention in the furtherance of the ideas referred to, and which so 

 far has not received even the semblance of care. I refer to Marine 

 Aquaria, a living museum of the objects we desire to study. 



To learn the history of plants, and for our convenience, we need 

 to place them in artificial surroundings ; but the objects of our 

 solicitude must be situated as far as known, in their natural rela- 

 tions, and to do so we have conservatories where this can be carried 

 out, and as a result our knowledge is nearly perfect. As to the 

 result of this long continued and daily expense, it would take 

 volumes to describe the benefits accruing to agriculture and every 

 other industry in which the products of the soil receive attention. 



To illustrate the advantage of this kind of artificial study. The 

 cinchona bark and quinine (its product) , without which [life would 

 be impossible in some countries, to strangers, was nearly becoming 

 extinct, and likewise the ipecacuanha plant, of nearly as much use ; 

 and what was to be done? They grew in distant and almost 

 inaccessible parts of Central and South America, and but little 

 could be found out about them. After a great deal of difficulty, 

 Mr. Hooker, of Kew Gardens, London, England, got some cuttings 

 and seeds, and set to work to unravel their history. He produced 

 numerous plants, and concluded that the Hill country in India 



