CONSERVATIOM OF DEEP SEA BEDS. 1051 



tically they are eaten by the fishermen or their friends, or 

 thrown away. 



In framing rules and regulations on fishery matters, it 

 is most desirable that the interests of the public and the 

 interests of the fishermen should run together ; with this 

 object in view, it was suggested to the States of Jersey by 

 Commander Anson, late of H.M.S. Dasher, that it would be 

 advisable to allow the dredgers five per cent, on the value 

 of all oysters brought on shore, provided that they would 

 agree to return to the beds all immature oysters, whether 

 they were able to pass through the ring-gauge or not. 



The percentage, Captain Anson stated, was arrived at 

 from calculating the proportions of young and old oysters, 

 by taking the average catch of the Jersey boats in one 

 month, and reducing the immature oysters to one-fourth 

 their number, old oysters fetching four times the price of 

 young ones. 



The States of Jersey appointed a Committee to con- 

 sider the matter, and we believe it is still " left sitting." 

 The wheels of the Jersey legislature are, however, old, and 

 it requires a long time to overcome their inertia ! 



A ring for measurement is entirely a fallacious test as 

 to the ao;e and condition of an oyster. A native " Tom 



o j 



Thumb," or dwarfed oyster, will pass through a ring two 

 inches or even less in diameter, though it may be five or 

 six years old and such as are sold by retail for 33. 6d. a 

 dozen whilst young "thrifty" North Sea or Channel 

 oysters, containing not half the quantity of the fish in 

 Tom Thumbs, will frequently not go through a ring of 3^ 

 or 3^ inches in diameter, and are dear at is. a dozen. 



We have seen deep-sea oysters which have been con- 

 sidered only sixteen months old unable to pass through a 



