72 THE CLYDE RIVEU OYSTER FISHERIES. 



Bold Shore Bed is 1,000 yards long but only 12 yards wide; 

 the bottom is of shell and shingle ; spat washed on to the 

 shingle thrives there. The oysters, though not large, are of 

 fair shape, and generally are in good condition. The shores 

 also are, by natural formation, favourable to oyster growth. 



Cliinccman's Boint Bed has two distinct formations : the 

 upper end is of slate rock set on edge, while the lower end is 

 of rock set horizontallv, the foreshore beino? shin2:le : the 

 upper end produces a green coloured cuppy shell, while the 

 lower end shows a shell larger and flatter. 



Birty Lane Bed has a bottom of mud and shingle, and is 

 somewhat soft; hence its name. The spat sets in bunches, the 

 oysters occur in alternate stips separated by strips of mud. 



Mogo Bend Bed is 900 yards long, and extends outwards 

 from high-water mark for 40 yards, the bottom is shelly. Both 

 the bed and shore are excellent for the culture of oysters 

 which thrive luxuriously. 



Big Island Bed is of large extent, 1 mile long by 100 

 yards wide. The bottom is broken and rocky, so much so that 

 oysters can with difficulty be obtained even with the double- 

 shoe dredge. They are safe from disturbance except by diving, 

 as the depth of water precludes the profitable use of the tongs 

 or nippers. 



It will be scarcely fitting to close this chapter Avithout a 

 joassing reference to the efforts put forth by Dr. Cox, the 

 President of the Pisheries Commission, to create in the 

 j)ublic mind an interest in oyster culture. The Colony is 

 indebted to the Doctor for several valuable scientific papers 

 on the subject, communicated either through the press or the 

 agency of the Linnean Society, of which he has ever been a 

 prominent member. Amongst the appendices is his paper 

 on the Aust]'alian Oyster — it is full of information regarding 

 the species and may be studied with profit by everyone 

 professing an interest in the subject. 



