OSTREA. 317 



and expense than it is worth. It is not only artificial 

 oyster-beds which are claimed as private property, but 

 many of those in the open sea, on various parts of our 

 coast. 



Oysters of good repute are fished in the neighbourhood 

 of the Channel Islands. There are two oyster-banks, the 

 one off Guernsey, and the other off Jersey. The former 

 is of little importance ; the latter of considerable value. 

 They belong to the region of oyster-banks which extends 

 along the coasts of Normandy and Brittany. Dr. Knapp 

 informs us that the number procured annually from them 

 for the use of the Channel Islands and English markets 

 cannot be less than eight hundred thousand tubs, each tub 

 containing two English bushels, and in some years thrice 

 that quantity is believed to be procured from those banks 

 during the season. As many as three hundred cutters 

 have been employed upon them dredging. The oysters on 

 the Jersey bank are of large size, and are sold at from five 

 to seven shillings the tub, or from three to four pence 

 the dozen. Milne-Edwards and Audouin state (in their 

 " Histoire Naturelle du Littoral de la France "") that 

 during the year 1828 the total number dredged on the 

 French banks of this region was about fifty-two million, 

 the average price of which was three francs fifty cents for 

 every " millier," i.e. twelve hundred. These French oyster- 

 banks are stated by the authors quoted to yield a produce 

 valued at from eight to nine hundred thousand francs a 

 year. Before the French oyster-fisheries were put under 

 restrictions the banks were deteriorating through continual 

 fishing. 



The oyster-fishery of most consequence in Scotland is 

 that of the Frith of Forth, respecting which some valuable 

 information has been communicated to us by Dr. Knapp. 



