SUPPLEMENT. 1253 



seventy to seventy-five million oysters of different kinds 

 and sizes, of the value of 225,000 francs. But in course of 

 time, especially between 1830 and 1840, the demand 

 becoming greater and oysters scarce, they were so exhaus- 

 tively fished that in the year 1840 the produce was only 

 1000 francs." Bericht, p. 9. 



According to this, the produce of the beds before 

 1830 was 75,000,000 yearly, while in 1840 it had sunk to 

 330,000, or thereabouts, that is less than 2 * th of the 

 previous yield. 



" It was only after this almost complete exhaustion of 

 the beds that the Government took means to prevent their 

 further destruction. The Prefect of the Arrondissement 

 sent a vessel to watch the beds, and enforce the strict 

 observance of the law. But too late. The attempts of 

 private persons to repopulate the beds also failed. This 

 condition lasted till 1859." 



In 1860, however, at M. Coste's suggestion, two pares, 

 on the Crastorle and Grand Ces cressats (nortk of the He 

 des Oiseaux) were established by the Government, and in 

 the following year numerous concessions were made to 

 private individuals. These were stocked with oysters, so 

 that, between 1859 and 1861, 15,000,000 of oysters were laid 

 down in the pares. 



Such is the account given by Tolle and Mobius. But 

 I am wholly unable to reconcile the assertion that the 

 natural beds had failed before 1860 with the statistics 

 given by Mr. Hall in his already cited report. Mr. Hall 

 states that, in the year 1 860-61, no fewer than 19,900,000 

 oysters were fished on the natural beds. Hence it follows 

 that in 1859-60 there must have been at least 19,900,000 

 half-grown oysters, and in 1858-59 at least the same num- 

 ber of one-year oysters, and therefore that there must have 



