BIRTH, GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF OYSTERS. 121 



It is often enough the case that the spawn falls at a 

 considerable distance from the place where it has been 

 emitted. Thus the spawn from the Whitstable and Faver- 

 sham Oyster Companies' beds and these contain millions 

 of oysters in various stages of progress falls usually on a 

 large piece of ground between Whitstable and the Isle of 

 Thanet, formerly common property, but, some years since, 

 given by Act of Parliament to a company formed for the 

 breeding of oysters. 



It is thought that not more than one oyster out of 

 each million arrives at maturity. It is curious to note that 

 some oysters have immense shells, with very little " meat" 

 in them. I recently saw in a restaurant several oysters, 

 much larger externally than crown-pieces, with the " meat" 

 about the size of a sixpence : these were Firth of Forth 

 oysters from Cockenzie. It is not easy to determine, from 

 the external size of the animal, the amount of "meat' it 

 will yield apparently, " the bigger the oyster the smaller 

 the meat." In the early part of the season only very small 

 oysters are sold in Edinburgh the reason assigned being 

 that all the best dredgers are " away at the herring," and 

 that the persons left behind at the oyster beds are only 

 able to skim them ; so that, for a period of about six 

 weeks, we merely obtain the small fry that are lying on the 

 top. It is quite certain that as the season advances the 

 oysters obtained are larger and of more decided flavour. 

 In the " natives " obtained at Whitstable the shell and the 

 meat are pretty much in keeping as to size, and this is an 

 advantage, (p) 



The writer of the Article in Whitaker's Journal, already 

 quoted from, says : " I have measured the shell of a red- 



(p) " The Harvest of the Sea," pp. 236-7. 



