THE OYSTER AT HOME. 265 



them a shower of spray, which seems ever and anon like a 

 golden shower. Even the old, brave, weather-beaten hulls, 

 which on the beach appear so sombre, when wet with the 

 spray, and dashing back the sun-light, add much to the 

 splendour and gaiety of the scene." (0) 



The times for going out to dredge are at high tide and 

 lowtide. The boats used are the smaller sized ones employed 

 in the white fishery. The dredge somewhat resembles in 

 shape a common clasp-purse ; it is formed of net-work, 

 attached to a strong iron frame, which serves to keep the 

 mouth of the instrument open, and acts also as a sinker, 

 giving it a proper pressure as it travels along the oyster 

 beds. When the boat arrives over the oyster-scalps, the 

 dredge is let down by a rope attached to the upper ring, 

 and is worked by one man, except in cases where the boat 

 has to be sailed swiftly, when two are employed. Of 

 course, in the absence of wind, recourse is had to the oars. 

 The tension upon the rope is the signal for hauling the 

 dredge on board, when the entire contents are emptied 

 into the boat, and the dredge returned to the water. 

 These contents, not including the oysters, are of a most 

 heterogeneous kind stones, sea-weed, star-fish, (p] young 

 lobsters, crabs, actiniae all of which are usually returned 



(o) " Adventures of an Oyster," p. 152. 



(p) " That there should exist in several places local enactments 

 requiring fishers to tear in pieces all the sea-stars they take up, instead 

 of throwing them alive into the water, will appear necessary when we 

 consider the immense number (of oysters) they consume. On casting a 

 dredge thousands are brought up at a haul, ' as if,' it has been said, 

 ' the bottom were formed of a living bank of them, or a submarine 

 hive had been disturbed in the process of swarming.' Each individual, 

 too, produces, in every season, thousands of eggs ; and hence sea-stars 

 are considered valuable as manure in France." " Adventures of an 

 Oyster," p. 154. 



