66 . LABOUES OF GEHIN AND EEMT. 



vation will be largely required. The artificial plan of breeding 

 oysters has been more than once accidentally discovered. There 

 is at least one well-authenticated instance of this, which occurred 

 about a century ago, when a saltmaker of Marennes, who added 

 to his income by fattening oysters, lost a batch of six thousand 

 in consequence of an intense frost, the shells not being suflBciently 

 covered with water ; but while engaged in mourning over his 

 loss and kicking about the dead molluscs, he found them, greatly 

 to his surprise, covered with young oysters already pretty well 

 developed, and these, fortunately, although tender, all in good 

 health, so that ultimately he repeopled his salt-bed without 

 either trouble or expense — having of course to wait a year or 

 two for the growth of the natives before he could recommence 

 his commerce. 



To return to Eemy, however, his experiments were so in- 

 stantaneously crowned with success as even to be a surprise ;to 

 himself J and in order to encourage him and Gehin, a coadjutor 

 he had chosen, the Emulation Society of the Vosges voted them 

 a considerable sum of money and a handsome bronze medal. 

 But it was not tiU 1849 that the proceedings of the two 

 attracted that degree of notice which their importance demanded 

 both in a scientific and economic sense. Dr. Haxo of Epinal 

 then communicated to the Academy of Sciences at Paris an 

 elaborate paper on the subject, which at once fixed attention on 

 the labours of the two fishermen — in fact, it excited a sensation 

 both in the Academy and among the people. The government 

 of the time at once gave attention to the matter, and finding, 

 upon inquiry, everything that was said about the utility of the 

 plan to be true, resolved to have it extended to all the rivers in 

 France, especially to those of the poorer districts of the country. 

 The artificial system of fish-breeding was by this mode of action 

 rapidly extended over the chief rivers of France, and added 

 much to the comfort of the people, and in some cases little for- 

 tunes were realised by intelligent farmers who appreciated the 

 system, and had a pond or stream on which they could conduct 

 their experiments in safety. The piscicultural system culmi- 

 nated in France, chiefly under the direction of Professor Coste, 

 in the erection of a great establishment at Huningue, near Bale, 

 for the collection and distribution of fish-eggs. In order to see 

 this place with my own eyes, and so be enabled to describe 

 exactly how the piscicultural business of France is administered, 

 I paid a visit to the great laboratory. 



