556 EDIBLE OYSTERS FOUND ON THE AUSTRALIAN COAST, 



There are circumstances connected with these extensive and 

 well conducted fisheries which are not generally known, and 

 which I am desirous with Mr. Woodward's permission of placing 

 on record. 



These Oyster Banks are at the mouth of what is known as 

 as Swan Bay. At the entrance of the AVallambi Eiver into 

 Swan Bay, there is a bank across the mouth of the river com- 

 posed of coarse Cockle Shell sand, through which a narrow 

 channel has been cut by the Grovernment to permit of boats and 

 traffic to pass. The samples of Oysters exhibited are marked 

 Xos. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The Oysters marked No. 3, are says Mr. 

 Woodward in his letter to me " real Bank Oysters, they grow on 

 a bank upon which there is never more than one foot of water 

 at high- water and six inches at low- water at ordinary tides but 

 for four or five tides one after the other at spring tide time the 

 water does not cover them at all. These Oysters are of a good 

 age and if left on the bank where they grow they never improve 

 better than they are now ; I have never seen them as good as 

 they are now" (25th August, 18S2). The samples exhibited 

 marked No. 2 and 4, are Oysters, says Mr. Woodward, " which 

 were removed from the above mentioned bed about twelve months 

 ago, a few of them two years ago, and placed on other beds ; 

 those from one of these newly formed beds lie in water about 

 eighteen inches deep at high, and twelve inches at low tide, and 

 only have six inches of water over them at spring tide ; these new 

 beds are about 300 yards from the original bed." 



The true Drift Oysters exhibited marked No. 1, are from a 

 bed up the river about 600 yards from the exposed bed first men- 

 tioned, the bottom ot which is Sandy Mud, it has about two feet 

 of water over it at high water, and eighteen inches over it at low- 

 water, and twelve inches of water over it at spring low-water 

 tides. These large fine Oysters taken from it says Mr. Woodward, 

 " have not been taken from the first mentioned exposed bed and 

 deposited there, but are its natural production, they nevertheless 



