﻿[19] 
  PEARLS 
  AT 
  TAHITI 
  AND 
  TUAMOTU. 
  371 
  

  

  been 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  box 
  sunk 
  in 
  this 
  place 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  verify 
  their 
  

   growth. 
  After 
  three 
  weeks 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  these 
  oysters 
  were 
  covered 
  

   with 
  spawn, 
  measuring 
  from 
  .06 
  to 
  .08 
  inch. 
  On 
  one 
  valve 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  

   300 
  eggs 
  were 
  counted. 
  It 
  is 
  therefore 
  beyond 
  doubt 
  that 
  by 
  placing 
  

   collectors 
  near 
  the 
  oyster-boxes 
  an 
  abundant 
  supply 
  of 
  spawn 
  could 
  be 
  

   secured. 
  

  

  Vitality 
  of 
  the 
  pearl-oyster. 
  — 
  The 
  pearl-oyster 
  is 
  endowed 
  with 
  a 
  high 
  

   degree 
  of 
  vitality. 
  Changes 
  of 
  temperature 
  and 
  the 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  

   may 
  have 
  some 
  influence 
  on 
  its 
  development, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  necessa- 
  

   rily 
  injurious 
  to 
  it. 
  Thus, 
  oysters 
  placed, 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  experiment, 
  back 
  

   of 
  the 
  arsenal 
  of 
  Fare-Ute, 
  although 
  submerged 
  in 
  very 
  brackish 
  water, 
  

   having 
  a 
  specific 
  weight 
  of 
  38£ 
  grains, 
  had 
  hardly 
  increased 
  less 
  in 
  size 
  

   than 
  those 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  harbor 
  of 
  Papaete, 
  where 
  the 
  

   water 
  weighs 
  44 
  grains, 
  and 
  were 
  fully 
  as 
  vigorous 
  as 
  these. 
  This 
  does 
  

   not 
  mean 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  places 
  more 
  favorable 
  than 
  others 
  for 
  the 
  

   cultivation 
  of 
  the 
  pearl-oyster, 
  for 
  in 
  the 
  Tuamotu 
  Archipelago 
  there 
  

   are 
  islands, 
  especially 
  Takapota, 
  where 
  the 
  oysters 
  always 
  remain 
  small; 
  

   and 
  the 
  temperature, 
  the 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  bottom, 
  

   and 
  the 
  currents, 
  exercise 
  a 
  considerable 
  influence 
  on 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  

   pearl-oyster; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  very 
  exacting 
  in 
  its 
  demands, 
  and 
  may 
  easily 
  

   be 
  preserved. 
  

  

  Transportation 
  of 
  oysters. 
  — 
  The 
  transportation 
  of 
  the 
  pearl-oyster 
  is 
  

   not 
  connected 
  with 
  any 
  serious 
  difficulties. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  fortunate 
  

   circumstance, 
  for 
  it 
  thus 
  becomes 
  possible 
  to 
  furnish 
  young 
  oysters 
  to 
  

   pares 
  at 
  a 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  place 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  produced. 
  Return- 
  

   ing 
  from 
  Tuamotu 
  to 
  Papaete 
  on 
  July 
  13, 
  1884, 
  we 
  carried 
  on 
  board 
  the 
  

   Volage 
  several 
  hundred 
  oysters 
  destined 
  for 
  experiments 
  which 
  had 
  

   been 
  begun 
  at 
  Tahiti. 
  These 
  oysters 
  were 
  kept 
  in 
  cans 
  whose 
  water 
  

   was 
  renewed 
  every 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  hours; 
  and 
  during 
  this 
  trip 
  lasting 
  

   forty 
  hours 
  we 
  lost 
  but 
  very 
  few; 
  Some 
  weeks 
  later, 
  employing 
  the 
  

   same 
  method, 
  I 
  transported 
  from 
  Papaete 
  to 
  Tautira, 
  on 
  board 
  the 
  Aorai, 
  

   one 
  hundred 
  oysters 
  ; 
  and 
  not 
  a 
  single 
  one 
  perished 
  during 
  the 
  three 
  

   days 
  which 
  this 
  trip 
  lasted. 
  I 
  am 
  convinced 
  that 
  none 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  

   lost 
  on 
  the 
  trip 
  between 
  Tuamotu 
  and 
  Tahiti, 
  if 
  there 
  had 
  been 
  on 
  board 
  

   the 
  vessel 
  an 
  apparatus 
  constantly 
  distributing 
  aerated 
  water 
  in 
  cans 
  

   containing 
  the 
  oysters. 
  Barrels 
  furnished 
  with 
  faucets 
  would 
  fully 
  an- 
  

   swer 
  this 
  purpose. 
  

  

  Enemies 
  of 
  the 
  oyster. 
  — 
  Like 
  the 
  edible 
  oyster, 
  the 
  pearl-oyster 
  has 
  its 
  

   enemies 
  and 
  parasites. 
  Among 
  the 
  former 
  there 
  are 
  two 
  fish: 
  the 
  one, 
  

   called 
  k 
  < 
  Tahereta 
  v 
  by 
  the 
  natives, 
  is 
  a 
  flat 
  fish 
  bearing 
  a 
  strong 
  resem- 
  

   blance 
  to 
  the 
  fish 
  so 
  much 
  dreaded 
  by 
  our 
  oyster 
  cultivators, 
  on 
  account 
  

   of 
  the 
  ravages 
  which 
  it 
  makes 
  in 
  the 
  pares; 
  the 
  other, 
  called 
  " 
  OirV 
  1 
  or 
  

   "Kotohe," 
  is 
  a 
  long 
  fish 
  with 
  powerful 
  jaws. 
  It 
  seems 
  that 
  these 
  fish 
  do 
  

   much 
  harm 
  ; 
  they 
  attack 
  the 
  oysters, 
  break 
  them 
  open, 
  and 
  devour 
  

   them. 
  Other 
  enemies 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  are 
  two 
  shell-fish, 
  namely, 
  a 
  Murex, 
  

   and 
  a 
  Pholas. 
  These 
  attack 
  the 
  shell 
  of 
  the 
  oyster. 
  The 
  first 
  pierces 
  it 
  

  

  