THE OYSTER. 115 



whitish thick fluid, which contains the spat. 

 While in this state the oyster is technically termed 

 ' 'white sick." 



I now wish especially to allude to the great 

 falling off in the numbers of the oyster that has 

 taken place within the last few years, not only in 

 the breeding-beds situated in comparatively shallow 

 water on the south coast of England, but also to the 

 beds at the mouth of the Thames. Then again we 

 find that the deep sea beds, and all the continental 

 oyster fisheries, w r ere similarly affected, there being 

 hardly any spat to be found, and the full-grown 

 oysters died in great numbers, those living being 

 scarcely fit for sale. At present I have not heard 

 of any good reason having been given as to 

 the cause of this failure, though Mr. Buckland 

 has carefully examined many of the breeding- 

 grounds in England and France, and has every- 

 where heard the same report of a bad spawning, 

 and in some places that there has even been 

 no spat at all. 



The general results of Mr. Wiseman's observations 

 go to show that there has been scarcely any spat at 

 Paglesham for five years, and that the oyster pro- 

 prietors thought themselves lucky to find three or 

 four spat where previously there had been thousands 

 placed so thick that they were obliged to be scraped 

 off both sides of the oyster shell before being sent 



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