Vi PREFACE. 



throats, that it was lost sight of, and was recently 

 re-discovered in a more valuable form, by two poor 

 illiterate French fishermen, and practically demon- 

 strated by them more than ten years since, in their 

 quiet and secluded neighborhood. Discoveries, how- 

 ever, to be known in France at all, must, owing to 

 the s^fetem of centralization existing in that country, 

 have Parisian and governmental sanctions. So it is 

 not surprising that this one of artificial fish-culture, 

 remained unnoticed and unknown till 1849, when, 

 having chanced to come to the knowledge of Dr. Haxo, 

 a scientific man residing in the same department as 

 the two fishermen, it was by him communicated to the 

 Academy of Sciences at Paris, in a paper which 

 caused a great sensation in that learned body. Im- 

 mediately a commission, consisting of three of its 

 distinguished members, Messrs. Milne-Edwards, Du- 

 meril, and Valenciennes, was appointed to investigate 

 the discovery, and make a report. Their investiga- 

 tions, as well as those of the celebrated naturalist, 

 Mous. Coste, brought out the fact that the discovery 

 was only an improvement upon an old one which 

 was made and' forgotten nearly a centurj'- ago. The 

 meirit of the two fishermen, Grehin and Eemy of 

 Vosges, was, however, undeniable, and admitted by 

 the commission ; and there appears to be no doubt 



