OYSTER CULTURE IN FRANCE. 531 



Finally, I have had the pleasure of proving that almost 

 all the concessions are worked. Ten years ago half the 

 pares had been abandoned. 



LE VIVIER-SUR-MER. 



Founded under conditions analogous to those of Can- 

 cale, the pares of Le Vivier-sur-Mer date no further back 

 than seven years. Before that time fishing was almost the 

 only industry in which the population were engaged. The 

 foreshore at Le Vivier is very like that at Cancale ; there is 

 the same muddy soil, which is, however, rather more cal- 

 careous ; the sea is equally violent, and there are the same 

 difficulties in resisting it ; but the methods of working 

 differ, and at Le Vivier-sur-Mer reproduction is the main 

 object. Rearing on collectors is, however, successful there, 

 and it would even seem that the coast in this locality is 

 more favourable to the rapid growth of the mollusc than 

 that at Cancale. 



Before entering upon the details of the training of the 

 oyster, I shall mention in a few words how ostriculture has 

 been introduced into this locality. The attempts at repro- 

 duction made at various points on the coast had attracted 

 the attention of some persons, who undertook to collect the 

 streams of spat which the oysters give off in the spring, and 

 which until then were hopelessly lost through settling on 

 muddv ground. 



J o 



The first collectors placed on the shore of Le Vivier 

 were owned by M. Barbet : they consisted of schistous 

 stones, and fences placed in the main current. 



This first attempt was tolerably .successful. The fol- 

 lowing year M. Meury de Villers, having obtained from the 

 Ministry of Marine, which wished to encourage these 

 attempts, the concession of one hectare of land, organised 



