OYSTER CULTURE IN FRANCE. 633 



It is therefore of importance at once to discover, with 

 a view to handing them over to the activity of the maritime 

 population, situations fitted for the reception of the estab- 

 lishments which we are beginning to miss. 



We have cast our eyes, on the one hand, on the coasts 

 of the ocean where portions of the flats still remain 

 unutilised, and, on the other, on the shore of the Mediter- 

 ranean, where a vast string of lagunes will be found, 

 commencing at the pond of Berre, and with but short 

 interruptions of continuity terminating at the pond of 

 Canet. 



As regards the ocean, we shall point out several 

 portions of the coasts of the Charente and the Adour, 

 and particularly certain flats in the valley of the Gironde, 

 where, as at Verdon, there is scarcely any kind of this 

 industry. The opinion of the sailors on this coast is, that 

 the rearing of the oyster is neither possible nor advan- 

 tageous. This opinion has no foundation ; for it cannot be 

 admitted that the Portuguese oyster is not capable of 

 development in a locality so favourable to its propagation. 

 This would be contrary to the teachings of natural history. 

 It was disbelieved also in the lower part of Medoc that at 

 no distant day spat would be collected in the Gironde. In 

 spite of this some intelligent experimentalists have appeared, 

 who have ventured to lay down in the crassats of the river 

 some thousands of collectors which have rapidly become 

 covered with small oysters. The example has borne fruit. 

 In the present year some parqueurs from Verdon have laid 

 down as many as 120,000 tiles. Next year imitators will be 

 more numerous. 



It would be the same with the rearing of oysters if 

 anyone took the initiative in making essays by which it 

 could be proved that the grounds of Verdon similar in 



