358 FiSKDfG m American "Waters. 



the artificial fecundation project, and founded the most bril- 

 liant hopes of the new art oi pisciculture. 



The infoi'mation of Quatrefages' lecture reached Epinal, 

 and -was seen hy the Society of Emulation in the Vosges 

 about four months after it was delivered. On the 2d of 

 March, 1849, the secretary of the society wrote to M. de Qua- 

 trefages that two fishermen of La jBresse had been engaged 

 since 1844 at stocking the waters of the Vosges with trout 

 produced by artificial fecundation. 



All at once, loud became the acclamation in favor of R&my 

 and Gehin, as if the echo had gained strength by the years 

 in which the truth had lain dormant. Next an English en- 

 gineer, M. Gottleib Boccius, announced the great advantage 

 which the inhabitants of the Vosges had derived from re- 

 peopling their rivers by the aid of artificial fecundation, and 

 hatching fishes in boxes where they were secure from nu- 

 merous enemies of both water and air. He had published a 

 small treatise in 1841 with the object of benefiting landed 

 proprietors in stocking their waters, and more especially their 

 artificial fish-ponds. But the French philosophers regarded 

 the discovery in a national aspect. Hence one of the savants 

 most illustrious, M. Dumas, who was minister of Agi-iculture 

 and Commerce, charged the most authoritative naturalist, M. 

 Milne Edwards, to examine and give an opinion upon the di- 

 vers essays published in England, Germany, and France upon 

 the subject of stocking fluvial waters with fish. 



On the 26th of August, 1850, M. Milne Edwards addressed 

 a report to the minister, in which he reviewed the work of 

 Jacobi, and noticed the success of Eemy and Oehin with 

 marked commendation for their perseverance in perfecting 

 fish-culture, whereby they had restocked the streams of the 

 canton, besides having discovered a new industry for France. 

 He also named a dozen important rivers and lakes which 

 they had restocked with trout, concluding with impressively 

 recommending them to government favor. He said they had 

 done more than to stock the waters with trout, for they had 



