BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 99 



lectecl in the bay. It is just to add that IM. Chabot foresaw theu the 

 possibility of raising oysters upon the tide-flats.* 



Oysters had once existed iu a natural state iu Arcachon Bay, but 

 there, as everywhere, ignorance and improvidence had produced sad 

 results. The natural beds were choked up with mud, and the oysters 

 were disappearing rapidly. It was under these circumstances that, in. 

 1860, M. Coste resolved to establish iu this region some model parks. 

 Three places iu the bay were chosen, and iu all the success was com- 

 plete. As a result, one of the new j)arks, that of Lahillou, with an area 

 of four hectares (9.88 acres), furnished, iu 18GG, more than 5,000,000 

 oysters. Kow, at the time wheu the work commenced at that point 

 there was nothing there but mud. After having cleaned the earth they 

 placed there 4(10,000 oysters (1865), and, as I have just said, iu the fol- 

 lowing year the product surpassed 5,000,000. Such examples were well 

 calculated to impress the coast population. Ai)plicatious for conces- 

 sioiis immediately became uumerous, and, as I will shortly show, are 

 continually increasing iu numbers. Some years later the Government, 

 finding its example no longer necessary, conceded its model parks to 

 the ^ocie^ central des naiifrag6<, only reserving a certain extent of 

 oyster-beds which serve to supply the environing concessions with 

 spawn. The reserved beds occupy an area of 200 hectares. No fish- 

 ing is allowed in them except about once in three years, and after a 

 committee, in which the fishermen and the owners of parks are both 

 represented, has given its consent. The maritime administration is 

 very careful of this reserve. Every year 240 cubic meters of little 

 siiells are throv^n on the surface of the parks, and so form natural col- 

 lectors. At the time it was last fished (1879) the reserve furnished 

 25,000,000 oysters, representing a value of about 250,0;i0 francs [850,000 " . 

 In the month of April, 1881, when I was able to visit it, the beds were 

 covered with beautiful oysters, and appeared to me iu excellent condition. 



The collectors employed at Arcachon consist almost exclusively of 

 tiles, previously limed, and arranged in hives. Ten million tiles are 

 put out each year. The most favorable season for placing the collectors 

 seems to be, in this region, from the 12th to the 15th of June. The 

 hives remain in place until the month of October; some oyster-cultur- 

 ists, however, allow the collectors to remain the whole winter in the 

 basin. The latter is a dangerous practice, the spat being liable iu that 

 case to be destroyed by the frosts. However that may be, the young 

 oysters are placed either in claires or iu nursing-boxes. The claires of 

 Arcachon have been so often described t that it does not seem to me 



* In tho original the author quotes the words of M. Chabot, '^ dans la grande eau 

 stir Ics Crassats"; crassata beiuga loc'al term for certain portions of the Arcachon Bay, 

 ■which are laid bare at each tide. These crassats, upon which numerous pares are now 

 located, are separated from each other by channels formed by the currents which 

 cross the bay iu every direction. — Translator. 



tSee Report of Commissioner for 1880, pp. 939, and jjosi, pp. 957, 



