664 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



Florence, and the large towns of the peninsula receive a 

 part of their supplies from Brindisi and Venice, at which 

 places some natural beds exist. The oysters from these 

 beds belong to the common Mediterranean species (Ostrea 



edulis). 



LAKE FUSARO, NEAR NAPLES. 



There is no necessity of our entering here into a retro- 

 spective examination of the industry of Lake Fusaro. M. 

 Coste, in the learned report he has published concerning 

 his mission to the shores of the Mediterranean, has per- 

 formed this task better than I could do it. But I have 

 thought it proper not to leave Naples without first endea- 

 vouring to ascertain the causes which have occasioned the 

 sterility of this ancient lake and the loss of its secular 

 industry. The principal cause, as well as the oldest and 

 most incontestible one, which has at all times occasioned 

 the greatest disasters, results from sulphurous emanations 

 arising over certain portions of the bottom during the 

 eruptions of Mount Vesuvius. At such times as these all 

 of the inhabitants of the lake are imperiled, but shell-fish 

 suffer most because of their inability to get out of harm's 

 way. At various periods of eruption the oysters of Fusaro 

 have been very nearly exterminated, but so great has been 

 their fecundity that only a few years were required to enable 

 the lake to recover its normal productiveness. In addition 

 to this natural and- inevitable cause, there are others of 

 more recent origin and less extent, among which may be 

 cited: (i) the accumulation of vegetable and animal refuse 

 which has fouled the bottom ; (2) the too extensive culti- 

 vation of mussels ; (3) the excessive saltness of the water, 

 and (4.) the insufficient supply of fresh water. Finally, in 

 1856, the Neapolitan Government, with a view to rendering 

 Lake Fusaro more healthy as its marshy water propagated 



