526 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



oyster with success in the pares which she had organised, 

 Madame Sarah Felix made, in 1865, attempts at reproduc- 

 tion from captive oysters. 



Adult specimens taken from the banks of La Cortaise, 

 which supply the finest and most esteemed products of this 

 district, were placed in a receptacle where collecting appa- 

 ratus made of boards and tiles had been arranged. At the 

 usual season the oysters emitted spat, and the spat was on 

 the point of adhering to the collectors. If the result was 

 not quite a success, for it was perceived during the experi- 

 ment that the basin was wanting in depth, and that the 

 water in it was not changed often enough, it was at least 

 very encouraging. 



A large number of young oysters which had been suc- 

 cessfully preserved soon attained, even upon the collectors, 

 a wonderfully quick growth. 



Soon after, new experiments were made upon 100,000 

 oysters. Ostriculture was then fresh, and the preparation 

 had not been discovered with which to line the collectors, 

 in order to facilitate the detroquage or separation of the 

 oysters attached to them. To remedy the difficulties which 

 had been encountered, a paper, lined with a thin layer of 

 cement, was applied to the tiles. It thereupon became 

 easy to detach the young oyster from the place where it 

 had stuck. In addition, a suitable means was provided for 

 the regular feeding of the basin. 



The success was complete. The collectors were 

 covered with spat, the separation of which was easy ; and 

 the further development of the new generation, bred in the 

 Re"gneville pares, was accomplished under the most favour- 

 able conditions. 



