282 ANIMAL FOOD RESOUECES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



actual "fish," these little marine worms are as highly- 

 esteemed as any Thames whitebait, which they closely 

 resemble in flavour; and both they and the various 

 forms of fish life are eagerly sought for. Fortunately the 

 destructive powers of the natives — terrible " poachers " 

 as they are, killing the fish by means of poisons and 

 explosives, and using old sails, baskets, and all kinds of 

 instruments of a very unsportsmanlike character — are 

 out of all proportion to the productiveness of the waters,, 

 and as the disappearance of the " whitebait " is as sudden 

 as their appearance, they have not much time to make 

 any impression on the stock of fish in the sea. The 

 Maori is looking forward to the time when he may be 

 able to supply England with salmon; and the Fiji 

 islanders may possibly some day be sending us over 

 supplies of " whitebait " to grace the table of the English 

 epicure. 



France. — Much as fish is appreciated in France, and 

 essential as it is as food, owing to their fasts and 

 religious observances, the consumption is after all com- 

 paratively small. 



In a paper hy Captain Lemonssu, published in the 

 " Bulletin of the Society of Acclimatation," Paris, in 

 1860 (vol. vii. p. 332), he stated that the average annual 

 consumption per head was about as follows : — 



260 grammes of fresh fish ; 

 1 „ prawns ; 



1 decagramme of crayfish or lobsters ; and 

 3 oysters. 



or about nine or ten ounces in all. Of other molluscs 

 the consumption is also very small, although they might 

 be cultivated and multiplied extensively. 



Of fish preserved in oil, or marinaded, the consumption 

 is equally limited. Each individual uses of 



Sardines » ... 6 decagrammes. 



Anchovy .. ... 2 „ 



Tunny ... 3 grammes. 



