622 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



farmer of our experimental marsh had, two or three years 

 previously, in vain attempted to collect spat. But, in 

 undertaking this counter experience, we were pursuing a 

 double object, that of the disappearance, so to say, of the 

 last doubts, if any yet survived, as to the value and advan- 

 tages of artificial fecundations, and that of creating par- 

 tizans. 



The proof was conclusive. 



At the entrance of a fish-pond next to ours, and nearly 

 of the same size, similarly arranged, and receiving the same 

 water from the same gully, had been placed some tiles 

 upon which the spat coming from the river could not fail 

 to become attached. At that moment we were in the full 

 career of reproduction ; the collectors of the Gironde were 

 being charged with spat, and ours were so as fast as they 

 were submerged. We expected, accordingly, to find some 

 young oysters upon the collectors placed for the purpose 

 of the trial. It was not the case ; these collectors remained 

 completely free from every trace of reproduction. 



METHODS OF ARTIFICIAL FECUNDATION. 



Imperfect and incomplete as our present methods of 

 artificial fecundation may be, we believe it will be useful to 

 make them known at the present time. There is, more- 

 over, no better method than publicity for stimulating pro- 

 gress and the improvements of which it is susceptible. 

 After different attempts and numerous experiments, the 

 following is the method which we have found most suc- 

 cessful. 



It is easy, with a little practice, to determine with the 

 naked eye the sex of a Portuguese oyster. A small quan- 

 tity of the matter contained in the genital gland is taken, 



