152 NEW SOUTH WALES 
excellent the fish may be. But in those species in which the roe is 
large, such as the salmon, and the proportionate increase slow, the 
effect of fisheries rapidly tells, Thus it has been computed, according 
to given data and accurate calculations made by Messrs, Ashworth 
and Buist from the returns of fisheries, that only one salmon’s egg 
out of every thousand deposited by the parent fish ever becomes 
a fish fit for human food. Other fish no doubt both in fresh and salt 
water suffer in proportion, the principal enemies being :—1. Floods and 
accidents to which the ova themselves are subject. 2. Fish devouring 
the ova, which includes in many cases the parent-fish, 3. Prawns and 
small crustacea. 4. Birds in fresh waters, ducks and swans especially. 
5. Human enemies who kill or disturb the female fishes in spawning- 
time. 
From nearly all these evils are the ova preserved by pisciculture, and it 
has now come to pass that there is not a single salmon river in Europe 
which does not have annually put into ita much larger number of artifi- 
cially reared fish than is taken out of it. Up toa very recent date the 
most eminent establishment for pisciculture was at Huningue, near 
Basle. In this magnificent institution the eggs of fish are kept and 
advanced in their hatching until they arrive at the period at which they 
will bear travel. By this means many rivers in France have been 
actually restocked most abundantly with fish, employment given to 
hundreds of poor fishermen, and the food of the people greatly increased. 
The fish cultivated are the common trout, salmon-trout, lake-trout, 
Rhine salmon, Danube salmon, charr, grayling, and fera.* 
The French Government has for the last thirty-five years turned its at- 
tention especially to Pisciculture, and may be said to have taken the lead 
of all other nations on the subject. In the commencement of the work 
the rivers and lakes of France were almost destitute of fish, but through 
the establishment at Huningue, they have been abundantly re-stocked ; 
even though every man is allowed to fish with a line in all rivers and 
lakes, not on private property. The Huningue establishment was opéned 
in 1852, The object in view was to stock the rivers with fish by the 
introduction of ova and.young fry of the best kinds, and those of rapid 
growth. Over 20,000,000 of ova are partially hatched and sent away 
each year. “ Working hard and enthusiastically,” Mr. Frank Buckland 
says, “in the cause of improvement of fisheries are several French 
scientific gentlemen, to whom the highest possible praise should be 
accorded.” Foremost amongst these is M. Coste, justly called the Father 
of European Pisciculture. It is owing to his exertions that millions of 
fish ova were sent not only throughout France but also to every 
European nation that requested them. Amongst these the British nation 
owes a debt to France for the aid thus afforded. 
* A small salmon (Coregonus acronius), which when fully grown is 12 inches in 
length. Each fish produces a large quantity of eggs (ten to twenty thousand), but as 
it is very small the quantity is uncertain. Tera are called the herrings of the lakes, 
and are principally caught in the night. The young fish on leaving the egg can 
scarcely be seen in the water and passes through very small openings. In this way 
it escapes from hatching boxes so that its number cannot be correctly ascertained, 
but great quantities have been sent to stock the rivers and lakes of France. It 
lives in deep fresh waters and only frequents the borders of lakes to deposit the 
spawn, See Report of M. Coumes on Fisheries of France, 1861. 
