100 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



necessary to return to them here. I will, however, recall the fact that 

 their depth varies, according as they are designed to receive the spat 

 already detached or the tiles yet charged with young oysters. Indeed, 

 a certain number of park owners leave the spat to develop for quite a 

 while on the tiles themselves. The use of nursing-boxes [cakses] is 

 general at Arcachon ; but, as the^^ are very expensive, some oyster-cult- 

 urists have been obliged, in the interests of economy, to dispense with 

 them. In return, some establishments possess a considerable number 

 of them. Thus, in the month of April last, 4,000 boxes might be seen 

 in a single park. 



It does not seem to me, however, Mr, Minister, that this is the place 

 to enter into the details of the industry. I desire only to put before 

 you the proof of the importance of oyster-culture in this part of France. 

 The following figures, which I owe to the courtesy of M. Lhopital, naval 

 commissary, have an interest, from this point of view, of the first order: 



Statistics of the oyster-cultural industry in Arcachon Bay, 



Tears. 



18G5 

 1860 

 1867 



isns 



1&G9 

 1870 



1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 

 1876 

 18"'7 

 1878 

 187!) 

 1880 



Number of parks. 



Conceded. 



297 



4 



30 



94 



30 



21 



276 



371 



106 



,175 



e-jo 



300 

 301 

 285 

 184 

 144 



Existing. 



Number 



; ofoysterses- 



purted. 



297 



301 



340 



434 



464 



4^;') 



761 



1, 132 



1, 238 



2,413 



3, 039 



3, 345 



3, 646 



3, 931 



4, 115 

 4,250 



10, 584, 550 



7, 052, 000 

 4,921,210 



8, 500, 675 

 10,115,687 



ClJ^\\, 140 



4, 807, 500 



10,706,740 



25,711,751) 



42, 542. 650 



112,715,233 



106,885,450 



20.', 302. 225 



170. 500, 225 



160, 197, 275 



195, 477, 357 



Value. 



Francs. 



338, 705 



282. 070 



191,175 



310, 186 



410.784 



3. '.2, 066 



218,332 



537,515 



I, 1.50,397 



1,745,0.50 



2,817,630 



3,911,309 



4,456.288 



4, 426, 500 



3, 944, 249 



4, 2.34, 466 



Mean 

 prices per 

 thousand. 



Francs. 



40 



40 

 16 

 37 

 45 

 58 

 55 

 50 

 41 

 45 

 25 

 20 

 22 

 25 

 25 

 25 



It may be seen by an examination of the figures, ./trsf, that the number 

 of pares, which in 1805 was only 207, was 4,259 in 1880; second, that, 

 during the same period, the number of oysters exported has risen from 

 10,584,000 to 195,477,375, representing a value of 4,254,405 francs ; tliird, 

 that the total number of oysters exported from 1870 to 1880 has exceeded 

 1,000,000,000, and it must be noted that no oysters can be sold outside 

 of the country until they have obtained a minimum diameter of five 

 centimeters. 



THE PORTUGUESE OYSTER IN ARCACHON BAY. 



It can also be seen that the mean price per thousand has very much 

 diminished of late years. This results frojn the great quantity of Portu- 

 guese oysters which have been introduced. And, in this connection, 

 Mr. Minister, I cannot pass in silence the excitement which was felt in 

 the oyster-cultural world following the introduction in our waters of the 



