lO 



Notwithstanding the enormous consumption of oysters 

 from time immemorial in China, there appears to be no 

 diminution of the supply. In the north on the shores of 

 the Shantung promontory, at the mouths of the Yangtsze 

 and Ningpo rivers, all along the coasts of the Fohkien 

 and Kwantung provinces, and on the seaboard of Formosa, 

 the cultivation of oysters is carried on with much skill and 

 success. Considering their dearness and scarcity in Europe, 

 a thoroughly scientific inquiry as to the methods pursued 

 by the Chinese would undoubtedly yield important results. 

 8th. Fish-markets. — Appliances for Transport of FisJi, etc. 

 — A model is shown of a Ningpo ice-house (p. 48 of Cata- 

 logue), which is used not for purposes of refrigeration, but for 

 storing ice during hot weather. The ice is principally used 

 for the preservation and transport of fish, and is supplied 

 to the fishing grounds by ice-boats specially constructed. 

 These ice-houses are of very primitive construction but are 

 most effective, and are capable of preserving ice for a period 

 of three years. There are also some interesting models of 

 saltpans, and the manner of their use is described at 

 page 1 1 of the Catalogue. 



9th. Fish Breeding. — In the district of Swatow there is 

 no regular system of pisciculture, and the only approach 

 to it consists in fish-ponds that are described at page 1 1 of 

 the Catalogue ; but Monsieur Dabry de Thiersant in his 

 important work, ' La Pisciculture et la Peche en Chine,' 

 enters very fully into the matter, and gives China the 

 credit of having been the first to practise this art at 

 a very remote age. In Land and Water there is also a 

 very interesting Paper, written by Mr. Kopsch, Commis- 

 sioner of Chinese Customs, on Pisciculture in Kiangsi. 



loth. Fish — Natural History. — There is a valuable article 

 on the ichthyology of China, by Sir John Richardson, in the 



