A Historical Sketch of Fish-culture . 89 
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The Romans were not great fish-eaters but preferred strong¬ 
er meats, and among them fish was regarded more as a 
luxury, though the middle classes had their fresh-water 
ponds to some extent. From the time of the fall of Car¬ 
thage (b. c. 146) to the reign of Vespasian (a. d. 70-79) 
there was a great increase in the use of fish of every sort 
at the sumptuous feasts of the wealthy, who seem to have 
spared no expense in constructing and supplying their 
piscina , or basins. Several Latin authors, among whom are 
Pliny and Varro, give minute descriptions of these: they 
were for both fresh and salt water and in both cases were 
so constructed that the water could easily be renewed. 
Exotic fish were brought from long distances and at great 
cost. The piscina of Lueullus, at Tusculum, were especially 
famous, and in one instance he is said to have caused a 
mountain to be pierced in order to obtain a water-supply. 
At his death his ponds were sold at auction for 4,000,000 
sestertii, equivalent to $160,000. The fish were well fed and 
great care was taken of them. The Romans also practised 
oyster-culture, which began among them, according to Pliny, 
during the reign of Augustus, in the first years of the 
Christian Era. The oysters were collected at Brundisium 
and were carried to Lake Lucrinus for planting, the method 
being very similar to that now pursued in France. The 
oysters of Britain had a great reputation at Rome. 
From the time of the Romans until the XVIII Century 
no progress of importance seems to have been made in Eu¬ 
rope. though fishing, of course, continued and increased and 
fish-ponds were common in Italy and France, and their use 
gradually spread all over the Continent. Kings and princes 
had their vivaria or piscina, Charlemagne is recorded as 
having his. The Religious Communities were dependent 
upon them on account of fasts imposed by the Church. 
Very little, however, has been written upon the subject. 
In British times Fish-culture was entirely unknown in 
England, since the ancient Britons regarded fish as sacred 
and would not molest them. The Romans introduced fish* 
