376 SUPPLEMENT 
has settled this question, beyond all doubt, in the case of the 
parks of the Courseulois, which are liable to be filled with the 
fresh water by the inundations of the Seule. This proves the 
necessity of more frequently renewing the water of the parks 
during great rains. As cold is equally injurious to oysters, it 
would be desirable to have them placed at a sufficient dis- 
tance from the surface of the water; but another inconvenience 
would result from this, that they would be less easily in- 
spected. 
From all these considerations it appears, that to establish 
a park of oysters properly, it should be in places sheltered 
from the wind, to prevent the agitation of the water, and con- 
sequently the entrance of grains of sand into the shells. The 
bottom should not be muddy, or it should be well covered 
with pebbles and coarse sand, so that the animal may lose 
the muddy flavour, and not resume it. The mass of water 
should be pretty considerable, especially if not changed at 
each tide, to escape too great a proportion of fresh water from 
rains. The oysters should be placed sufficiently deep to 
escape cold, but not deep enough to prevent them from being 
easily viewed by the inspector, as in that case he could not 
throw out the dead individuals. Finally, the more it is in our 
power to renew, or not to renew the water at pleasure, the 
more influence can be exerted in modifying the oysters. If it 
be desired that the oysters should be very white, clear, and 
even bigger, the water should be changed at every tide, as is 
done at Etretat, and different points on the Atlantic. If, on 
the contrary, it is wished to have them more tender, smaller, 
and particularly to make them green, they must be left in the’ 
water a longer or shorter time, according to the season, and 
some other circumstances, iin, | atmospheric, of which 
not much is known. 
Tt is quite certain that the green oysters are absolutely of 
the same species with the white, and come from the same 
Ee 
