61 



Cove, Port Esperance, Eeclierche Bay, Cloudy Bav, Little 

 Swanport, Ralph's Bay, Carlton, New Town Bay, Risclon Bay, 

 Prince of Wales Bay, Barnes' Bay. Spring Bay is said by 

 some to Lave been ruined by a tidal wave which covered the 

 oysters to a depth of 4in. with mud, but if so the oyster exter- 

 minators were only forestalled by a few months. Had the 

 bay been in the hands of a company it would have been saved 

 from destruction. 



2nd. On Oyster Culture. 



After the destruction of the oyster beds or " scalps " in 

 France, the government, with the desirable object of once 

 again establishing a lucrative industry, constructed large 

 artificial beds in various places, for the p>urpose of teaching 

 oyster-farming on the most approved principles. There are 

 now many of these beds, but the most important are those of 

 Arcachon, Marennes, and the He de 116. The artificial method 

 of gathering the spat was accidentally discovered by M. Boeuf, 

 of the Be de Ee, who observed young oysters attached to 

 stones on the foreshore of the island. The breeding season 

 being known, fascines are suspended in the channel through 

 which the water washing the " scalp " must pass, and the 

 infant oyster appears delighted to remain near its parents, 

 ond clings to anything that comes in its way. The particular 

 plan of catching the spat would, I imagine, depend to a great 

 extent upon the natural peculiarities of the spot ; sometimes 

 rough stones are thrown up in the form of walls, and the en- 

 closures are then termed oyster parks. Tiles may be sus- 

 pended in the same manner as fascines, and drain-pipes, I 

 should think, would answer very well. The bottoms of vessels 

 anchored near oyster beds are sometimes found covered with 

 infant oysters. Oysters, according to age, are named thus : — 

 Infant oysters are those which have not long been spatted ; 

 the second year the oyster is known as " brood ;" the third 

 year as " ware ; " and in the fourth year they are supposed to 

 be full grown ; they will, therefore (to re-enumerate them), be 

 the spat or spawn, the infant oyster, the brood, and the ware. 

 After the infant oysters are planted out, they require to be 

 carefully watched and preserved from their enemies, of which 

 the most notable is the star fish ; their inanimate enemies are 

 sand, mud, and weed, and in artificial beds a cleansing process 

 is constantly going on by means of rakes or dredges. 



A.n important fact to remember in oyster culture is, that it 

 is essential that young oysters should begin life on a shelly 

 or rocky bottom. In England they are careful to keep the 

 young oysters below low water-mark on account of the frost, 

 but here they would succeed nearly up to high water-mark. 

 Wherever I have seen them on the shores of Australia, they 



