276 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



the theory of the subject, the practical Chinese have been 

 obtaining good results for the last 1800 years, notwith- 

 standing the fact that they have no clear ideas as to the 

 nature of the oyster or its means of reproduction. The 

 principal oyster-beds are situated near the mainland, oppo- 

 site the north and east of Namoa Island. Pieces of rock 

 or stones are laid out on the beds, old oysters are placed 

 on them, and here the spat is deposited. After three 

 years, the oysters are brought to market. As regards 

 quality, they are inferior to those of Amoy and Foochow, 

 which are exported on a large scale to the ports along the 

 coasts. (/>) 



M. Dabry de Thersant says that there are some pro- 

 lific beds in the neighbourhood of Macao, which, after 

 deducting the working expenses, about ^600, return an 

 annual profit of more than 200. A staff of eight men 

 are employed on these beds, at about \ per month each. 

 Another bed, which is leased for an annual sum of 10, 

 for thirty years, returns a profit of from i 100 to \2QO 

 per annum, (c] 



The best oysters are those collected in January, Feb- 

 ruary, and March. There are several species of oysters in 

 China. The Bamboo Oysters are grown in the following 

 manner : Old oyster-shells of two kinds are selected, 

 thick and thin, each of the thick ones having a hole one 

 and a half inches in diameter bored through the centre of 

 it. Slips of bamboo about two feet in length, one and a 

 half inches wide, and half an inch thick, are pointed and 

 split to about half the distance down, a thin shell is 

 inserted in each split near its bottom end, the two top 



(&) " China : Imperial Maritime Customs. Special Catalogue, Inter- 

 national Fisheries Exhibition, London, 1883." 

 (c) " Flight of the Lapwing." 



