CHAPTER XXI 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROMAN AND MODERN 
PISCICULTURE 
WirTH the opinion held by some, that the method of breeding 
fish employed by the Romans was practically the same as 
that of the modern Pisciculturists, Badham ! seems to agree, 
when he remarks: “ The plan of stocking rivers with fish 
ab ovo has been, after the lapse of many centuries, revived by 
two Vosges fishermen, Gehin and Rémy,” and “they have 
thus re-established a very ancient practice, and succeeded in 
stocking the streams of France.” 
But this is a total misconception. It can only have arisen 
from ignorance either of what is found in Latin writers, such as 
Columella, or of what is the nature of the method used by 
Rémy and, with great improvements, by present Pisciculturists. 
Shortly, the Roman method collected from the bottom of 
a river or a marsh eggs, already fertilised in the natural manner 
by fish, and removed them to other lakes or vivaria. 
Rémy and his successors catch and strip the females of their 
eggs, which are pressed out into a pan. They then extrude 
the milt of the male on to the eggs, in a proportion, differing 
according to what fish are being spawned, of one male to one 
or morefemale. They next place the eggs on perforated wire or 
other trays fixed in long boxes, over and under which water 
of a regulated temperature passes.? 
1 OP. cit., p. 48. 
2 In the case of Trout, the ova can be successfully transported to South 
Africa or even to New Zealand, as the period of incubation is a long one. 
After hatching, the alevins, fry, or young fish can be utilised to stock fish 
ponds, or other waters. 
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