THE ESSEX FIELD CLUR. 259 



separated from the " ciiltch," a term used for the old shells, stones, &c., cleansed 

 hy exposure to wind and rain, which are deposited in suitable parts of the river 

 to provide restinof-places for the spat. The young oj-sters are again thrown into 

 the water. If this sepiration were not carefully done the oysters would grow 

 distorted and unmarketable. 



At four years old the "Native" is at its best, and amongst the regalia at 

 Colchester is a silver oyster, beautifully modelled from a Colne oyster, to serve 

 as a standard of size, below which it is not proper to sell a Colne Native. During 

 the late summer, after tlie spatting season is over, dredging goes on, and the 

 four vears old 03-sters picked out and conveyed to Pyefleet Creek, and deposited 

 there, this ground, by experience, being found to fatten the oyster much better 

 than the river. It is not, however, a good breeding-ground. 



Large numbers of oysters are occasionally destroyed by Star-fishes, the 

 "Whelk Tingle," and the Sea Hedgehog (^Echinus). 



The common Mussel is a very undesirable inhabitant of the oyster fisher}', and 

 ihe destruction of these enemies is an important feature in oyster cultivation. 



In the autumn, the Colchester Corporation visit the fishery, and performs 

 the opening ceremony. Upon their arrival at Brightiingsea, they embark upon 

 a barge, when the declaration of the opening of the fishery is read by the Town 

 Clerk, the compan}' present immediately give a cheer, and at the same time a 

 flag is hoisted to announce to those on shore that the fisher}' has been declared 

 open. A gingerbread and a liqueur glass of gin is next handed round to each 

 person present, and success to the fishery is drunk ; finally some dredging is 

 done, in order to judge, how the season promises, and lunch is served. 



It is needless to say that in these degenerate times this ceremony is carried 

 out at the expense of the members of the Corpoiation. The time for the com- 

 mencement of the fishing varies with the season. Later on it is customary for 

 the Mayor to entertain the Corporation and a large number of friends to a feast 

 upon oysters, a fixed number of the molluscs being supplied by the Oyster 

 Compan}^ the remainder and larger quantity at the Mayor's expense. This 

 event is too well known to need enlarging upon. 



At the conclusion of Mr. Shenstone's remarks, the President proposed a vote 

 of thanks to him and to Dr. Laver, and also to Mr. C. E Benham, who had 

 taken so much trouble in organising the meeting. These votes were carried by 

 acclamation, and the remainder of the afternoon was spent in strolling along the 

 side of the creek, and in searching for such plants and shells as could be gathered 

 on a hasty visit. Equisetitm telmateia was noticed growing in great luxuriance 

 in a hollow near the Martello Tower, in company with Verhascum. A consider- 

 able number of the young caterpillars of the "Fox Moth " (jS'owz/H'^ rw^O were 

 found feeding on the low herbage at St. Osyth Point, as well as plentj' of the 

 curious " semi-looper " larvae of the pretty Noctuid moth, Enclidia mi^ among 

 the grass st:ms. The only butterfly seen worthy of note was Cynthia cardui. 



On the day previous to the meeting, Mr. Walter Crouch had had some shore- 

 hunting on Stone Point, St. Osyth, near the Martelio Tower shown above in Mr. 

 H. A. Cole's drawing. He found the mollusc Hydrohia ventrosa abounding by thou- 

 sands in the green weed in a brackish-water pond, originally part of the Tower 

 fosse ; and to some of the members, who came to the Ferry by the sea wall, he 

 pointed out the spot, and a number were taken. On the shore, and in the sea he 

 had gathered about a score of common mollusca. A few shells of the bivalve 

 Anomia ephippium occurred, and a quantity of Lacuna crassior. A shell of this 

 gastropod was taken in the Blackwater trip, 1888, but was not recorded then, as 

 it was not shown to Mr. Crouch till some time afterwards.^ 



3 On the succeeding day, on the shore of East Mersea, in company with Mr. \V. Cole, Mr. 

 Crouch again found some of these shells ; and, amongst others, on ihc shell beach by the 

 " Bowling Green," Lacuna patti lula, and quantities of Hydrohia uhur, Rissoa »icinbra'iacea, 

 and Utriculus obtusus, under the masses of Zostera, which are here washed up. 



