vines attached and fenced in with the parts of worn-out 

 oyster-cases (ambulances) are seen everywhere. On 

 enquiry one finds that the head of the family, almost 

 invariably a naval reservist (marin iuscrit), leases a small 

 oyster-park which the family labour usually suffices to 

 cultivate. The land around the cottage supplies most 

 of the daily requirements and often enough the industry 

 of the wife and children sets free the husband to earn 

 good wages by periodical voyages aboard deep-sea 

 fishing craft. 



From such a land of sober, industrious, and thoughtful 

 people much may be learned and of what it has to teach 

 in regard to the culture of oysters the following pages 

 contain, I trust, all facts of essential importance. 



II.— PHYSICAL CONDITIONS CHARACTER- 

 ISING ARCACHON BASIN. 



The basin of Arcachon is a land-locked shallow bay 

 of great area lying about midway between the mouths of 

 the Garonne and Adour in the old province of Gascony ; 

 it lies about 35 miles westward from Bordeaux. 



Its area at high tide is estimated at 15,000 hectares 

 or 37,066 acres ; at low tide the appearance wholly alters ; 

 extensive and numerous sand banks and mud flats emerge 

 in all directions and the water area becomes reduced to a 

 network of mud-bottomed channels. At ordinary springs 

 when there is a vertical range of about 10 feet fully 8,000 

 hectares are uncovered at low water, being more than 

 half the superficies of the bay at high tide. The shore 

 line measures 85 to 90 kilometres (about 55 miles). Its 

 outline is roughly that of an equilateral triangle (Fig. 1), 

 the narrow seaward entrance being situated at the 

 western extremity of the base, while the delta of the 

 only large river, the Leyre, is situated at the other end 

 of the southern side of this triangular bay ; at the 

 northern angle (apex) a small stream, the Lege, enters 

 the bay and in times of exceptional Hoods may exercise 



