BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 105 



has been discarded in favor of that which is kno^YU under the name of 

 hoiiquet or champignon ninshroom. A dozen or fourteen tiles pierced at 

 each extremity are fastened together by means of iron wires. These 

 are attached firmly to the top of a stake from 1 to 1^ meters long, which 

 can be easily fixed in the ground.* This system, the first idea of which 

 is due to M. Leroux, has the double advantage of preventing the col- 

 lectors from being choked with mud and of rendering the setting of 

 these implements more easy and rapid. The time which appears to be 

 most favorable for setting the tiles, in Bretagne, is from the 1st to the 

 ?X){\i of July. This date is a month later than that at which the setting 

 takes place in Arcachon Bay. The discrepancy is easily explained by 

 the difference in temperature which exists between these two parts of 

 our coast. 



The use of nursing-boxes is not so frequent in Bretagne as in the Bay 

 of Arcachon. There are several reasons for this circumstance^ the one 

 of the most importance is that, while the oyster-culturists at Arcachon 

 cannot export their oysters until they have attained the size of five 

 centimeters, the Bretons have the right to sell them outside the country 

 in the condition of spat, and need not occupy themselves with raising 

 them. 



The question of the cost, also, plays a great part, so much the more 

 as the oyster-cultural industry is yet in its infancy in this region. Fi- 

 nally, a number of Breton oyster-culturists replace to a certain extent 

 the nse of boxes by the method which they call Vhuitre a tcssons (the 

 oyster on potsherds). This is what should be understood by that ex- 

 pression : The young oysters are left on the tiles for a certain time; 

 then, in place of taking them off", they break into fragments the collector 

 itself. Each oyster is then adhering to one of these pieces — to one of 

 these tessons. This system, invented by one of our most distinguished 

 oyster-culturists. Dr. Greppy, offers the advantage of placing the 

 oyster in the best condition to resist the attacks of its natural enemies, 

 the crabs, for example. Other oyster-culturists leave the oysters fixed 

 to the collectors two years. They place the tiles, charged with their 

 harvest, into submersible basins or simply into claires. The loss which 

 always follows the gathering of the tiles is thus greatly lessened, but, 

 on the other hand, some oysters are arrested in their development on 

 account of being too closely pressed against the others. 



RAISING AND FATTENING CENTERS. 



I will jiot here enter into further details, but will now apply myself 

 to the raising and fattening centers, the most important of which are 

 Marenues and La Tremblade. 



Marennes. — Marennes has been known for many years for the pro- 

 duction of green oysters ; but for some time this locality has been fur- 



* For an illustration and further description of tho bouquet collector see Report of 

 Commissioner for 1880, pp. 959-96"2. — Trajstslator. 



