978 [36] 
away. By this method there is also obtained a finely shaped oyster, 
which does not carry with it a disagreeable impression of mortar, and 
which is not flat like those left for fifteen months upon the tiles. 
The conditions of sale and the facility of raising are the only things 
which can determine whether the oysters, hatched in July, should be re- 
moved from the collectors in October, or not until the following April. 
Claires and submerged basins.-—Whatever may be the time of detach- 
ment of the oyster, it is recognized, at Morbihan, as indispensable to 
have at one’s disposition claires or basins, in which the collectors may be 
placed during the winter season. At that period of the year, great cold 
is often caused by northerly and easterly winds. During these winds, the 
sea falls more than when the wind is southwest, often to such an extent 
that it might leave all the collectors of a park uncovered for several 
hours. This would suffice to ruin everything. The winter of 1870 was 
severe in this respect. M. Kugéne Leroux declares that: he then lost 
fifteen thousand dollars worth of oysters in one day, and others suffered 
in like manner. 
M. Gressy has wisely distributed claires and basins around his parks, 
at Cuhan, and warmly recommends all culturists to put 
their stock under shelter during the winter. 
The fine basins of M. de Wolbock are well known, 
and M. Eugéne Leroux has just been having some made. 
Our oyster culturists cannot be too much encouraged on 
this point. 
Enemies of the oyster.—From the time of the removal 
of the oyster from the collector to the period of its normal 
development, it is exposed to numerous enemies. 
We have often had to speak of them, without giving 
their names. It is now time to enter into some details, 
an easy task, since we have only to reproduce the spirited 
description of M. Chaumel. 
‘From the spring time, when they put in an appear- 
ance, until cold weather, when they leave us, we see 
these miserable crabs roaming about, searching and 
ferreting out the young oysters, often to crush them, 
merely for the pleasure of killing them, for I have often 
seen them going from one to another, crushing them in 
REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
their claws, and never stopping until I had seized them 
and crushed them in turn. With oysters which they 
cannot break they resort to strategy; stopping near 
Fig. 10.—Ga 
teway for 
reservoirs. 
them they watch, without noise or motion, until the valves of the oyster 
are opened, then they thrust in the elbow of one of their claws, and with 
the fine extremity of another tear out the oyster, which, in this case, they 
devour. 
If the crab misses its stroke, and gets in only the extremity of its 
claw, upon which the oyster shuts down firmly, the latter is still a cap- 
