XXVII.—THE OYSTER AND OYSTER-CULTURE.* 
By Karu MOBIUs, 
Professor of Zoology at Kiel. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Since the first attempt in France, in 1858, to raise oysters by artificial 
means, very much has been written concerning the oyster and its cult- 
ure. Authors, themselves astonished, have endeavored, by displaying 
long rows of figures indicating the great number of oysters that could 
be produced, to awaken like astonishment among their readers and 
arouse the inhabitants of the coast to propagate extensively in all 
their countries this most valuable of all sea invertebrates. These ac- 
counts of the immense production resulting from the artificial culture 
of the oyster went from paper to paper and book to book, and carried 
with them such an appearance of credibility'that even practical oyster- 
breeders and acute biologists believed that, with little labor, great sums 
might be realized by raising oysters for the table. This is comprehensi- 
ble, for the reason tliat the official reports of England, France, and Amer- 
ica concerning oyster-culture, from which the large figures were taken, 
present either no information as to their true significance, or that only 
of a scattered nature, intelligible to those alone who are already ac- 
quainted with the subject. In order to gain this acquaintance and com- 
prehend the true significance of such figures it is necessary to become 
informed as to the nature and the condition of life of the oyster; and 
in regard to both of these subjects biologists, as well as breeders and 
consumers of oysters, will find in the present work all that is necessary 
to enable them to form an opinion upon the questions which will arise 
in regard to the breeding and rearing of oysters. I believe T have clearly 
demonstrated that true oyster-culture must be conducted according to 
the same principles that are employed in the extensive cultivation of 
any other living commodity. If I have done so, then I have accom- 
plished what should not have been necessary ; for what is more natural 
than that both oysters and oyster-culture should be subject to the same 
universal, controlling, biological laws. And yet an explanation was 
*Die Auster und die Austernwirthschaft ; von Karl Mobius, Professor der Zoologie in 
Kiel. Mit einer Karte und neun Holzschnitten. Berlin, Verlag von Wiegandt, Hem- 
pel & Parey. 1877. Small octavo; pp. 126. Translated by H. J. Rice, B. Se., by per- 
mission of the author, by whom electrotypes of the original cuts have been furnished. 
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