OYSTER CULTURE IN FRANCE. 559 



will eftect a growth of a centimetre. Sometimes eight-and- 

 forty hours will suffice for a young oyster, wounded in pick- 

 ing off, to remake its shell solidly enough to shelter it from 

 its enemies. 



* 



The spat comes from Auray ; it is sent in cases lined 

 throughout with wet sea-weed. Some parc-owners have it 

 brought on tiles, place it in reserve, and commence picking 

 it off later. At first it is put in oyster cases, where it 

 remains from a fortnight to a month, in order that that 

 which is sick may have time to recover ; afterwards it is 

 laid at the bottom of the claires. 



Two years in the pares amply suffice for a young 

 oyster to become eatable. The following are some notes 

 which I have made respecting specimens reared by M. 

 Monnier :- 



An oyster, considered a good medium one, which was 

 produced at Auray in 1875, picked off at Auray in January, 

 1876, and being from 2^ to 3 centimetres in size when put 

 in the pare in the month of April, measured at the begin- 

 ning of September of that year 7*8 centimetres. 



Another, produced in 1874, picked off and parced in 

 April, 1875, measured exactly 9^ centimetres in the begin- 

 ning of September, 1876. 



Again, a specimen produced in 1873 had acquired, by 

 the month of September, 1876, the enormous size of 11*4. 

 centimetres. 



The operations which take place at M. Monnier's take 

 place also at the establishment of Dr. Leroux. Dr. Leroux, 

 in the month of March of this year, had brought from his 

 pares at La Trinite spat of 1875, picked off in January, 

 1876. When I arrived at Les Sables these young oysters 

 were from 7 to 7^- centimetres in size. The mode of 

 treating oysters at Les Sables is the same as everywhere 



