152 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The French Government assumes control of all oyster-beds and 

 fore-shores. As occasion may seem to require, an entire bed or part 

 of it may be reserved from dredging for a certain time, that time 

 being decided by the local commission. The general practice seems 

 to be, to buoy off a third or fourth of a bed each year, which portion 

 is only sufficiently dredged to remove weeds, mud, vermin, etc. The 

 remainder of the bed is open to all licensed persons for a certain spe- 

 cified time. The following year another part of the bed is reserved, 

 and occasionally portions are reserved for longer periods than usual. 

 The local commission decides all matters pertaining to the beds in 

 their vicinity, and is composed of the following officers : the inspector 

 of the fisheries, the commander of the fishery guard, two gardes 

 maritimes, and one fisherman, master of a boat. 



The following are the most important regulations, made for the 

 guidance of the commission by the Minister of Marine : The beds 

 should not be opened for fishing until the " spat " has acquired 

 strength to resist the action of the dredge until the end of Janu- 

 ary, for example. When a bed has well-established breeding quali- 

 ties, a fourth or fifth part of its entire area should be set apart as a 

 reserve, and dredging over such part entirely prohibited. A fishery 

 guarcl-boat should, whenever practicable, take part in the working of 

 each bed. When a bed is foul, or encumbered with weeds or other 

 matter noxious to the development or adherence of the " spat," it 

 should be opened for dredging until cleaned. Beds on which there is 

 never any production of " spat " should be opened all through the sea- 

 son. After the working of any bed is over, it should be carefully ex- 

 amined, and, if necessary, the " cultch " replenished. The close-time 

 is between the 1st of May and 31st of August, and is strictly observed. 



The above regulations and their strict observance have caused a 

 great improvement of all the beds on the French coasts ; but one in- 

 stance w T ill be sufficient to show the effects of a protective policy when 

 understandingly conceived and rigidly enforced. In 1870, through 

 over-fishing, the beds in the Bay of Arcachon had become entirely 

 exhausted ; but, by the strict protection afforded them, their fecun- 

 dity has once more become so great (in 1876) that the waters of the 

 bay from June until August are filled with the young swarm. On 

 a bed, w r hen dry at low spring ebbs, and comprising 26*7 acres, there 

 were taken by forty or fifty persons, in some two and a half hours, 

 about sixty thousand oysters. That part of the bed was immediately 

 buoyed, and no more fishing allowed during the season. 



Having seen what protection has been afforded the French beds, 

 and with what success, let us see how that experience can be best used, 

 together with such knowledge on the subject of our own fisheries as 

 the investigations conducted during the past two years have given us. 

 The deterioration of an oyster-bed and its impaired fecundity will be 

 shown : 



