OYSTER AND MUSSEL REPORT. 45 
Society of Arcachon, and especially their able Secretary 
Emile Durégne. 
Besides going over samples of the oyster ‘‘ pares” both 
in boats and by wading, I met at Arcachon Mons. Gustave 
Dasteé, a proprietor of parcs and exporter of oysters, 
who gave me a good deal of important information about 
his methods and the condition of the industry. I also 
visited M. Dasté’s warehouses and establishment for the 
exportation of oysters at Pointe de l’Aiguillon some way 
to the east of Arcachon. I met also Mons. Pesenx one of 
the oyster syndicate and a member of the oyster commis- 
sion, and Mons. Dubourdieu who showed me round his 
pares. 
From Arcachon I returned to Bordeaux and then pro- 
ceeded to Royan, at the mouth of the Gironde, where 
shrimping and sardine fishing is carried on, and where 
abundance of small wild oysters are found on the rocks at 
low tide. From Royan I went to La Tremblade, La 
Greve and Marennes which are all near the estuary of the 
Seudre and are in the most important district for the 
“fattening ’’ and ‘‘ greening”’ of oysters. I was at first at 
Tremblade and La Greve, and then crossed the Seudre to 
Marennes where I spent a couple of days examining the 
oyster “‘claires.” I had a letter of introduction to Mons. 
Grenier at Bourcefranc in that neighbourhood but he was 
away at that time for a week. I saw however his claires 
on the coast a few miles off. I then went on by coach to 
Pointe le Chapus and saw the small and very primitive 
oyster parcs there, including however the basin of 
“‘dégorgement’’ for freeing the oyster from the mud in 
the intestine before being packed for transport. Here also 
I saw the mussel enclosures on the shore, and the ground 
where the girls collect ‘‘ Pelerins’’ (Tapes decussata). 
I next crossed to the Island of Oléron and visited 
