108 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



jiuiUiplied. They have endeavored, for some time, to practice raising 

 and I'attening in the basin of Auray. The oyster-culturists have here to 

 struggle against the obstacle arising from the small degree of firmness 

 which the soil presents. They succeed in triumphing over these bad 

 conditions by macadamizing the mud. For that they cover the ground 

 with sand and stones which end by forming a bed sufficiently resisting. 

 I think that the Breton oyster-culturists will be able to thus raise 

 oysters, but I very much fear that the fattening will not give good results 

 in this region. In fact, except at a few privileged points, the want of 

 fresh water will be a serious obstacle to perfect success. 



MEDITERRANEAN COAST. 



While oyster culture is comparatively flourishing on our ocean shores, 

 it is not represented on our Mediterranean coast. All the attempts made 

 in former times by M. Coste were without the desired results. I think 

 that it is useless to dwell upon those unfortunate experiments, but 

 there is some interest in examining whether the oyster industry should 

 bi3 finally abandoned in this part of France. Several species of oysters 

 at present live in the Mediterranean. These species are the following : 



I. The Osfrca edulis and its varieties. This oyster seems to live only 

 with difficulty in the Mediterranean, at least in the part of it which 

 washes our coast, and it never forms beds. Some individuals are found 

 on a muddy bottom, at the depth of thirty to sixty meters, off the mouth 

 of the Rhone. 



II. The 0. cyrnusii. This oyster very much resembles the edulis. It 

 is principally distinguished by the greater length of the hinge-groove. 

 It lives in the briny pools on the eastern coast of Corsica. 



III. The 0. cochlear. I cite this species simply for the sake of mention- 

 ing it. It is, indeed, a very small and rare mollusk, inhabiting great 

 depths (100 to 140 meters). It j)ossesses no interest from a gastronomic 

 point of view. 



IV. The 0. sfantina. — This is a small species, rather abundant at Tou- 

 lon, more rare on the rest of our coast. It seems to prefer to inhabit 

 impure waters. 



Among these species only two are interesting from an oyster-cultural 

 point of view, the 0. edulis and the 0. cyrnusii. All the attempts which 

 have been made up to this time have related to the 0. edulis. Thus M. 

 Coste used for his experiments oysters coming from the coast of Bre 

 tagne. Now, as we have just said, this si)ecies of oyster seems to ])rop- 

 agate itself with difficulty on the Mediterranean coast. Many zoolo- 

 gists attribute this circumstance to the fact that the sea-water here is too 

 salt, nowever that may be, it appears to me that new attempts should 

 be made, directed this time to the oyster of the Corsican coast, the 0. 

 cyrnusii. I am led to think that this species would give good results if 

 it was introduced into the lagoons which aie so numerous along our 

 southern coast, and to which I have already had the honor of directing 

 your attention. 



