OSTREA. 319 



Natural oj^ster-beds of small extent occur at some dis- 

 tance from land in several places around the Isle of Man. 

 The principal is that off Laxey ; but though the oysters are 

 fine and well-flavoured, their abundance is not sufficient to 

 induce a regular fishery. 



On both sides of Ireland oysters abound in many places, 

 and some of the banks are valuable, producing oysters in 

 abundance, and of good quality. In the west, the most 

 famous are Burton Bindon"'s oysters, which are highly 

 esteemed in Dublin. They are the Burran oysters, 

 brought from the Burran bank in Gal way bay, where 

 they are laid down artificially, after having been originally 

 dredged chiefly near Achil Head. There are oyster-beds 

 in the Shannon, said, in 1836, to yield a revenue of 

 1400?. annually, and to employ seventy men and sixteen 

 boats. Some small oyster-beds in Clare are private pro- 

 perty, and yield various incomes, as do those also in 

 Cork harbour, but none of them are of any extent. 

 Oysters are dredged from natural beds on the coast of 



From the foregoing average the quantity dredged per day may be stated as 

 follows : — 



Boats. Oysters. 

 Principal season, four months, 25 X 480=: . . 12,000 



Secondary season, four months, 8 x 480 = . . . 3,840 



Per day for Newhaven, 15,840 



The same number for Fisherrow, Prestonpans, and Cockenzie, makes 31,680, 

 threefourth-parts of which, as before mentioned, come to Edinburgh, being 

 23,700. 



With regard to the consumption in Edinburgh, it will be apparent, that out of 

 the season of eight months, only one hundred and twenty-eight days are stated, 

 these being the men's working-days. But the days of the consumption of these 

 Mollusks in town are (excluding Sundays), out of the eight months, two hundred 

 and seven days. Inde, as before, 



1,520,640 _j_ 207 = 7346 oysters, being the average daily consumed in Edin- 

 burgh during the season, from the beginning of September till the end of April. 



