THE OYSTER FISHERIES LAWS. 115 



egg-cases are deposited on the sides of the membranous tubes inhabited by 

 the worm, and remain in this position until the young worms are hatched. 

 (Fig. 10, plate 1). It appears to me that the brood-pouches are formed 

 within the body of the worm, and at the period of deposition the outer circle 

 is ruptured, and the egg-sacs fixed on the sides of the tube. Before the eggs 

 are deposited, the body of the worm is plump and of a cream colour, with a 

 central line varying in colour from bright red to a very dark brown. After- 

 wards the bod}^ appears tliin and of a chocolate colour, and appears almost 

 like another species. In fact until I carefully examined those Avhich had 

 laid their eggs, I thought there Avas a second species inhabiting the oysters. 

 The period during which the worms produce ova may be stated to be the 

 months of October, November, and December. How far the breeding 

 extends beyond these mouths I am unable to say ; but it probably is within 

 the mark to say that, it may extend for a month or six weeks on each side. 



The worm does not seem to confine itself to the oyster ; it is common in 

 other bivalves in Port Jackson. Its distribution appears to be world-wide. 

 It is found in Europe, North America, Australia, and the Philippine Islands. 

 There is also a species described by Schmarda from the Chilian Coast of 

 South America, which may prove to be the same. 



The Oyster fisheries Laws. 



Address delivered before the Linnean Society, by the President, 

 Dr. James C. Cox, 18S3. 



The laws and regulations under which our oyster fisheries are at present 

 worked are, I regret to sav, very unsatisfactory, and much good may be 

 accomplished by bringing this question frequently and prominently before 

 the public, so that, by pointing out where and how the laws are defective, 

 they may be amended. We had taken from our oyster-beds, from July, 

 1881, to July, 1882, over 65,000 bushels of oysters, leased, which paid a 

 royalty of £1,823. That portion dredged from natural oyster-beds, not the 

 other portion paying no royalty, is obtained at an insignificant price from 

 old leases, which* I am glad to say, will expire during the present and next 

 year. As this subject, it is to be hoped, is likely to receive the attention of 

 our legislators during the present session of Parliament, it will not be 

 out of place to take this opportunity of passing under review the laws 

 relating to this important question, tip to the year 1868 any person was at 

 liberty lo collect or take oysters for private use, or for sale as a marketable 

 product, from any part of our tidal waters in which they were found ; but 

 up to this date oysters were not only indiscriminately collected for the 

 purposes of food, but were very extensively collected for the purpose of 

 burning them to make lime. Smce railway communication has been estab- 

 lished we are supplied with marble lime from the interior; prior to this 

 almost the whole of the lime used was obtained from the shell-fish of our 

 coasts, and living oysters contributed principally to its production ; the only 

 other shell-fishes which contributed a noticeable share at all to the produc- 

 tion of lime were what are known as our mud-cockle {Anomalacardia 

 Trapezia, Desh.) and our mud-lark {Potamides Ebenimim, Brug.). I know 

 of an instance where a contract was taken to supply 6,000 bushels of lime, 

 in which the contractors openly acknowledged that every ounce of it was 

 obtained from living oysters. This indiscrimiaate waste of so valuable an 



