78 
M. Dasté and others however are all agreed that we 
might do a great deal more in this country than we now 
do in the way of rearing up young oysters and fattening 
them for the market. Dasté has visited the west coast of 
Scotland and he mentioned to me Campbeltown and Aros 
in the sound of Mull (a locality I know well) as being 
places that had struck him as being well suited for oyster 
culture. I have no doubt there are parts of our own 
district which are equally favourable. It is of importance 
if the oysters are kept in shallow water, that the tempera- 
ture in winter should not be too low, and that is a point 
upon which I feel we require further information in regard 
to the various parts of our district. 
As to the other conditions, a gravelly mud bottom 
sufficiently firm to bear up the weight of the shell so that 
the exceedingly delicate respiratory organs of the animal 
should not be injured by much mud being carried in by 
the water currents, possibly a certain admixture of fresh 
water, and abundance of good food are what seem most 
favourable to oyster growth. The food must be micros- 
copic, and about 90% of it is usually Diatoms—so these 
lowly plants are the most important things to look for in 
estimating the oyster rearing capacity of a particular 
region. 
Finally in regard to Mussels there seems to be a 
» difference of opinion as to whether a hot season is favour- 
able or the reverse. I was distinctly given to understand 
at Oléron that heat was not good for them, and that they 
were disappearing because of the hot summers, but on the 
other hand there is the positive fact which I came across 
at Arcachon that the uncultivated and unwished for mussels 
are Increasing in numbers over the oyster pares, where the 
temperature of the water is the highest I met with. 
I have already given my conclusions in regard to the 
