OYSTER CULTURE IN FRANCE. 525 



Before Madame Sarah Felix established herself here, 

 no serious attempt at rearing had been undertaken at 

 Regneville. 



The pares belonging to Madame Sarah Felix, dug out 

 on calcareous soil, occupy on the shore an area of five 

 hectares. A dyke which cannot be submerged, with a 

 height of six metres, made of earth taken from the inner 

 basins and strong rock work, protects them from the 

 attacks of the sea. The side facing the open cannot be 

 mined or worn away, being protected by great stones, 

 against which the sea breaks. 



An open canal, which starts from low-water mark and 

 leads up to the establishment, introduces the water. On 

 its arrival, the water is received and distributed through a 

 strong floodgate worked by cranks, and of which the low 

 level is several feet lower than dead low water. It was 

 indispensable to adopt this arrangement, in order to pre- 

 vent any but perfectly pure water getting into the reservoirs 

 at high tide. All along the haven there is a quantity of 

 sand that the sea raises when sweeping the shore. 



A principal feeding canal traverses the establishment, 

 and distributes fresh sea water to 24 basins, measuring 

 about 3*5 metres in depth, and capable of holding 2*5 

 metres of water. 



Each receptacle communicates with the canal by a 

 small floodgate, for letting out and keeping in water. 



A rather abundant spring, rising in the vicinity of the 

 property itself, serves to temper the saltness of the water. 



What have been the results obtained in the Regneville 

 pares ? 



After various preliminary experiments had shown the 

 possibility of practising the rearing and fattening of the 



