1082 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



artificially did not pay. It paid individual fishermen who 

 worked themselves, but it did not pay to breed on a large 

 scale even at present prices. He thought the rents named 

 in the papers were fancy prices, and should like to hear 

 further particulars as to whether the matter was a com- 

 mercial success, and he hoped there would be a further 

 and more complete discussion on the whole question. 



Mr. F. G. Browning (Whitstable) said that in the 

 neighbourhood of Whitstable, for the last 50, 60, or 80 

 years, there had been more parent oysters than any person 

 would think of stocking a new ground with, consequently 

 it was not the want of parent oysters which caused the 

 scarcity. But during the memory of man there had not 

 been more than six or seven spatting seasons, and when 

 there was abundance of spat it had been when the stock of 

 parent oysters was reduced to the lowest ebb. He should 

 also like to ask what was meant by ripe oysters carrying 

 eggs, because he was under the impression that the spawn 

 for all oysters was eggs. 



The Chairman said they were all very much indebted 

 to Professor Hubrecht for his very interesting Paper ; but 

 there were still several points left a little obscure, on which 

 further light would be welcomed. Some of the remarks 

 which had been made tended in some degree to a doubt as 

 to the success of oyster-culture ; but there was no doubt 

 that beginning at Arcachon and finishing off in Holland, 

 whatever were the methods adopted by the French, Bel- 

 gians, or Dutch, they could claim at any rate the merit of 

 success, for they had enormously re-stocked their ground 

 and replenished their oyster-beds, and he could not think 

 that, as regards climate, tides, and the possession of the 

 estuaries on the coast, we were in such a totally different 

 position that we could not, with the greatest advantage, 



