810 THE INHABITANTS OF THE SEA. 
This great augmentation of value has naturally directed 
attention to the creation of new oyster-banks, and to the better 
management of those already existing, and fortunately the 
manner in which the molluse propagates renders its culture in 
appropriate localities a by no means difficult task. 
The oyster spawns from June to September. Instead of im 
mediately abandoning its eggs to their fate, as is the case with 
so many sea-animals, it keeps them for a time in the folds of its 
mantle, between the branchial lamelle, and it is only after having 
thus acquired a more perfect development that the microscopie 
larvee, furnished with a swimming apparatus and eyes, emerge 
from the shell, and are then driven about by the floods and 
currents, until they find some solid body to which they attach 
themselves for life. In this manner the oyster produces in one 
single summer a couple of millions of young, which, however, 
mostly perish during the first wandering stage of their existence. 
Thus we see what rich rewards may be gained by protecting and 
fixing the oyster-larvee at an early date; and that this can be 
done in many places without any great outlay of capital is 
proved to us by successful examples both in ancient and modern 
times. 
Between the Lucrine Lake, the ruins of Cums, where of yore 
the Sibyl uttered her ambiguous oracles, and the promontory of 
Misenum, lies a small salt-water lake, about a league in cir- 
cumference, generally from three to six feet deep, and reposing 
ona voleanie, black, and muddy bottom. This is the old Acheron 
of Virgil, the present Fusaro. Over its whole extent are spread 
from space to space great heaps of stones, that have been 
originally stocked with oysters brought from Tarentum. Round 
each of these artificial mounds stakes are driven into the ground, 
tolerably near each other, and projecting from the water, so as 
to be pulled up easily. Other stakes stand in long rows several 
feet apart, and are united by ropes, from which bundles of brush- 
wood hang down into the water. All these arrangements are 
intended to fix the oyster-dust, that annually escapes from the 
parental shells, and to afford it a vast number of points to which 
it may attach itself. After two or three years the microscopic 
larvee have grown into edible oysters. Then, at the proper 
season, the stakes and brushwood bundles are taken out of 
the water, and after the ripe berries of the marine vineyard 
