BULLETIN OF TIIE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 319 



Rl I'ORi RELATIVE TO THE GENERATION AND ARTIFICIAL 

 FECl'XDATION OF OYSTERS, ADDRESSED TO TIIE MINISTER 

 OE THE MARINE AND TIIE COLONIES.* 



By M. BOITCHON-BBAIXDELY, 



SECRETARY OF THE COLLEGE OF FRANCE. 



Since the creation of the ostracultural industry, the administration 

 of the marine has not ceased by divers means, grants of money, 

 missions, etc., to encourage all attempts having for their object the de- 

 velopment of this industry. It is undoubtedly to this that ostraeult- 

 ure owes its present prosperity and the constant progress it has real- 

 ized, a progress which was shown in so worthy a manner at the expo- 

 sition at Bordeaux. 



Faithful to this tradition, you have been good enough, monsieur, to 

 authorize us, under your auspices and with your encouragement, to 

 make the investigations of which we herewith present an account. 



These researches commenced in the College of France in 1880, in the 

 laboratory of comparative embryogeny, under the direction of M. 

 Balbiani, the eminent successor of M. Coste, who has aided us with 

 his counsel, have been pursued in this same laboratory and upon differ- 

 ent points of our coast, and they relate to : 



1. The sexuality of the French oyster (Ostrea edulis) and the Portu- 

 guese oyster (Oxtrea angulata). 



2. The fecundation, the incubation, and the development of the eggs 

 and embryos of both species. 



3. The possibility of interbreeding [crossing] them. 



4. The artificial fertilization of the Portuguese oyster. 



This outline report does not permit us to give the questions which 

 we have studied that extended consideration which they deserve, so as 

 to touch' upon all their aspects; we will have the honor, however, of 

 shortly presenting to you a more complete report on this subject. We 

 now occupy ourselves more particularly with our experiments in the 

 artificial fecundation of the Portuguese oyster; these are what appear 

 to us to be of the most immediate interest. 



THE PORTUGUESE Ol-STER. 



The mollusk known under the name of the Portuguese oyster has not 

 existed upon our coast for more than thirty years. The Museum 

 Delessert, Lamarck collection, possesses the only specimen which we 



* Rapport relatif d la generation et a la fecondation artificielle des huitres, adresse au 

 ministre de la marine et des colonic*, par M. Bouchon-Brandely, secretaire da College de 

 France. Journal officiel de la Ile'publique Frangaise. December 1C and 17, 1882, pp. 

 6762-6764 and 6778-67,-2. Translated, with notes, by John A. Ryder. 



