XXIX.—REPORT ON THE OYSTER AND MUSSEL INDUSTRIES OF 
FRANCE AND ITALY.* 
By M. Costs. 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
A.—ARTIFICIAL OYSTER BEDS OF LAKE FUSARO. 
B.—GREEN OYSTERS OF MARENNE. 
C.—MUSSEL WIERS OF THE Bay OF AIGUILLON. 
D.—DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE MARINE FISHERIES. 
1. Report to His Majesty the Emperor on the condition of the oyster beds along 
the coasts of France, and on the necessity of restocking them. 
. Report to His Majesty the Emperor on the artificial oyster beds created in the 
Bay of Saint Brieuc. 
3. Report to his excellency the Minister of Marine on the restocking of the Basin 
of Arcachon. 
4. Appliances suitable for the reception of oyster spat. 
[ws] 
A.—ARTIFICIAL OYSTER BEDS OF LAKE FUSARO. 
At the inner end of the Gulf of Baia, between the beach and the ruins 
of the city of Cume, may still be seen, far inland, the remains of two 
ancient lakes, Lucrin and Averne, communicating in olden times through 
a narrow canal, one of which, Lucrin, gave access to the waves of the 
sea through an opening in the embankment over which passed the Her- 
culaneum road; tranquil basins they were, which an eruption of this 
voleanic soil has almost completely filled up, and where, as the poets said, 
the sea appeared to repose. A crown of hills, covered with primeval 
forests casting their shadow uponthe waters, had madeof it an inaccessi- 
ble retreat which superstition consecrated to the gods of the infernal 
regions, and where Virgil conducted Ainéus. But about the seventh 
century, when Agrippa had despoiled them of that gigantic vegetation, 
and the subterranean route was dug (the grotto of the sibyl), leading 
from Lake Averne to the city of Cume, the unveiled myth disappeared 
betore the works of civilization. A forest of splendid villas, built and 
* Extracted from ‘‘ Voyage d’Exploration sur le littoral de la France et de I’Italie, 
par M. Coste, membre de l'Institut, professeur au Collége de France. Deuxiéme 
édition, suivie de nouveaux documents sur les péches fluviales et marines. Publiée 
par ordre de 8. M. VEmpereur sous les auspices de S. Exc. le Ministre de l’Agriculture, 
du Commerce et des travaux publics. Paris, Imprimerie Impériale, MDCCCLXI,” 
pp. 89 to 193. 295 
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