1865.] Zoology and Animal Physiology. 133 



found, and nine the lowest ; and it was observed that when one egg 

 contains two young vipers, one of them is always yellow. 



The latest idea that has been promulgated in connection with the 

 cultivation of sea animals, is turtle culture. The artificial multiplica- 

 tion of the turtle, on the plan of securing the eggs and protecting the 

 young, is advocated by M. Salles, who is connected with the French 

 navy. To some extent turtle culture is already carried on in the Island 

 of Ascension, so far tit least as the protection of the eggs, and watch- 

 ing over the young, is concerned. M. Salles proposes, however, to do 

 more — he thinks that to arrive quickly at a useful result it would be 

 best to obtain a certain number of turtles from places where they are 

 still abundant, and transport them to such parks or receptacles as 

 might be established on the coast of France and Corsica, where at one 

 time they were plentiful. Animals about to lay would be the best to 

 secure for the proposed experiments. A vessel of sufficient dimensions 

 should be in readiness to bring away the precious freight, and the 

 captured animals, on arriving at their destination, should be deposited 

 in a park chosen under the following considerations : — The formation 

 of the sides to be an enclosure by means of an artificial barrier of 

 moderate height, formed of stones, and perpendicular within, so as to 

 prevent the escape of the turtles ; but so constructed as to admit the 

 sea, and at the same time allow of a large, sandy background for the 

 deposition of the eggs, which are about the size of those laid by geese. 

 As the turtles are herbivorous, the bottom of the park should be 

 covered with sea-weeds and marine plants of all kinds, similar to those 

 the animals are accustomed to find at home. A fine southern exposure 

 ought to be chosen for the site of the park, in order to obtain as much 

 of the sunshine as possible, heat being the one grand element in the 

 hatching of the eggs. 



Little has been done fur pisciculture in this country, although so 

 much has been said and written upon the subject ; but in France the 

 art has been revived in earnest. The moment it was ascertained that 

 M. Eemy's discoveries in artificial spawning were capable of being 

 carried out on the largest possible scale, that scale was at once resolved 

 upon, and the Government of the country became responsible for its 

 success. In Scotland, earnest endeavours have been made in the Tay, 

 which have increased the rental at least 1 per cent. ; and in Ireland, 

 Mr. Ashworth, of the Galway fisheries, finds it as profitable and as 

 easy to breed salmon as to rear sheep. His fisheries are a decided 

 success, and if we except the cost of some extensive engineering ope- 

 rations in forming fish-passes to admit of a communication with the 

 sea, the expense of his experiments has been trifling and the returns 

 proportionately large. Mr. Ashworth put into his fisheries no less than 

 a million and a half of salmon eggs in the course of two seasons. 



The culture of the oyster also progresses favourably, both at home 

 and abroad. An Act of Parliament was recently passed, enabling cer- 

 tain persons to take possession of a large portion of the foreshore at 

 Heme Bay, for the purpose of breeding oysters ; which Act, as might 

 have been expected, has given great offence to those interested in ex- 



