(93)

CHAPTER. XVIII. TUE FISllERIES—ICHTIIYOLOGY.’

Tm: progress and prospects of Prince Edward sland are so intimately mixed up with the finny ribes ofthe deep, the facilities offered to aliens, so road in their application, and the inducements, both gislalive and natural,held out to this industry, that chthyology, or the Science of Fishes, must ever be the most important branch of natural history in this ection ofthe world. VVhetherthe subject be viewed 'n the light of mental or material interest, it is qually one of a substantial and leading character. he fish of Prince Edward Island, may be, perhaps, ,onveniently divided into four classes—the ceta- leous or whale species—the shark, dogfish, and ea] species~the bony and cartilagenous species and he shell-fish.

, The grampus and the porpoise belong to the first ,amed, while the shark, dogfis'n, seal, etcetera, com- rehend the second. In the third division, however, ests the main advantages ofthe wealth of the flow- ng waters of the St. Lawrence, and at the head of he list in point of value is the gadidae or Cod family. he value ofthe Cod,and the wonderful provision for ts reproduction, may be gathered from the fanciful alculation ofthe produce ofa single roe. Supposing ach egg ofone full grown Codfish to have met with o enemies nor accident until grown to marketable sh, and then sold at Sixpence each, the fortune ealized would be the round sum of one hundred housand pounds. Applying the same fanciful cal- ulation to the Herring, it would require but a dozen oes to fill a thousand Barrels. It is considered that here are several varieties of the Cod in the Ameri. an waters, but generally and popularly speaking, ny God is a Cod and no more. The supply ofthis sh is, and ever must be,perfectly inexhaustible; and he demand for it as regular and necessary as is food

0 man. In Prince Edward Island, a few pence pro- 12