1086 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



was forming, he was satisfied that the oyster would not fix 

 on it, and finding the ground already covered by some 

 other organism, it would die. That was one of the diffi- 

 culties in pond culture, because the growth of seaweed 

 itself in pools was much more rapid than in the sea, and if 

 you were not fortunate enough to have the oyster-spat soon 

 after the ponds were filled, the result was, that when they 

 did spat, weeds were grown, and there was nothing for them 

 to fix upon. Another great difficulty was the expense, and 

 unless you could really secure a good fall of spat, it would 

 not pay, unless you were fortunate enough to collect such 

 a quantity in one year as would pay for several. The 

 mortality in the oyster-spawn was one of the most remark- 

 able features in the whole natural history of the oyster. 

 The European oyster would produce over one million of 

 eggs, and American oysters nearly five times as many, so 

 that it was evident an enormous proportion must die. 

 If by any knowledge they could acquire with regard to the 

 regulation of the oyster fisheries, they could get a large 

 reserve not of course on muddy ground where they could 

 not be left without moving there seemed no physical diffi- 

 culty in following the example of their friends in Holland, 

 and collecting artificially the natural fall of the spat. If 

 they took the area of the Solent or the mouth of the 

 Thames, and thought of the enormous number of oysters 

 which there ought to be in those districts, and how the 

 tides must, owing to the natural eddies, flow backwards and 

 forwards, one could hardly doubt that the spat might be 

 collected, and it seemed to him that we might with advan- 

 tage follow the system carried on there, and so do something 

 to replenish our native beds. The British native oyster was 

 the best that grew, though he was ready to give great 

 credit to the Dutch oysters, which probably came next to- 



