jS Proceedings of the Neivport Natural History Society. 
ployed, it is probable that its preparation would well repay 
all trouble. This swimming-bladder and the roe, from 
which is made the valuable Russian caviare, are here thrown 
away. The sturgeon also yields an abundant oil. In Ire¬ 
land isinglass of an excellent quality is prepared from cod- 
sounds. Enough fresh cod-bladders could be obtained in 
this vicinity to warrant the establishment of an isinglass 
manufactory at Newport. A most excellent isinglass is 
also to be obtained from the air-bladder of the hake. 
I have spoken of the edible and medicinal properties of 
certain seaweeds. In Newport and its vicinity many hun¬ 
dred cartloads of seaweed are annually turned to account 
as a fertilizer. There is one species, the eel-grass (Zostera 
marina') which, abundant everywhere upon the coast, is 
practically useless for this purpose. It is not a good top¬ 
dressing, for when dry it is carried away by the wind, and 
as a compost it is not valued. Abroad, properly dried, it 
has been largely used for the upholstery of beds and other 
furniture. From a single port, Granville, in Normandy, 
over four million pounds have been exported for this pur¬ 
pose in a single year. Of late it has also been found that, 
made into elongated pads or mattresses, it answers admir¬ 
ably in building as a deadener of sound and a non-conductor 
of heat, and its excellence in these respects is vouched for 
by architects of repute. 
There is much more that could be said of the sea as 
affecting Newport’s business interests. In a word there is 
at Newport a great deal more money to be gathered from 
the sea than is as yet obtained. There are many people 
here who need it, and they have only to avail themselves 
of the opportunities that await a little good judgment, pa¬ 
tience and not unpleasant labor. 
