A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF FISH-CULTURE* 
By AMORY AUSTIN. 
What is Fish-culture ? It is somewhat difficult to give a 
concise definition. The ancient idea of this art seems to 
have been little more than the keeping of fish in suitable 
enclosures whence they might easily be taken when wanted. 
In modern times the commonly accepted idea is that it is 
only the propagation of fish by artifice as a means of in¬ 
creasing the food-supply, whereas this is but a part, though 
an important one, of the whole scheme. The Century 
Dictionary defines Pisciculture as “the breeding, rearing, 
preservation and fattening of fish by artificial means.” The 
late I)r. George Brown-Goode gave a clear definition in a 
few words when he stated the purpose of Fish-culture to 
be “to counteract by reparative and preventive measures 
the destructive effects of fishing.” 
An extended definition might be made as follows: Fish- 
culture is the art of restoring to its former plentiful con¬ 
dition the natural supply of food-fish upon which the hu¬ 
man race so greatly depends, when that supply has become 
wasted by destructive means: of increasing the number of 
such fish by improving the conditions under which they 
are hatched, so that the immense loss which naturally oc¬ 
curs at such times may be counteracted: of adding to the 
variety of our food-fish by the introduction and acclimating 
of new native or exotic species in places where they may 
prove of most advantage to the people: of preserving the 
supply thus restored and increased by removing all obsta¬ 
cles to a healthy natural condition of life, with adequate 
food and proper facilities for reproduction: of protecting 
•Read before the Society April 11. 1898. 
