CHAP. VIIL] SPAT-COLLECTING TILES. 363 



when occasion requires, be easily peeled off, so that the crop 

 of oysters that may be gathered upon it can be transferred 

 from place to place with the greatest possible ease, and this 

 plan is useful for the transference of the oyster from the col- 

 lecting pare to the fattening dam. The annexed drawing 

 will give an idea of the Doctor's invention. The composition 

 and the adhering oyster may all be stripped off in one piece, 

 and the tile may be coated for future use. Tiles are exceed- 

 ingly useful in aiding the oyster-breeder to avoid the natural 



- . ; _ 

 OYSTER-TILES. 



enemies of the oyster, which are very numerous, especially at 

 the periods when it is young and tender. The oysters may be 

 peeled off the tiles when they are six or seven months old. 

 Spat-collectors of wood have also been tried with considerable 

 success. Hitherto these tiles have been very successful, al- 

 though it is thought by experienced breeders that no bottom 

 for oysters is so good as the natural one of " cultoh," as the old 

 oyster-shells are called, but the tile is often of service in catch- 

 ing the "noatsome," as the dredgers call the spawn, and to secure 

 that should be one of the first objects of the oyster-farmer. 



We glean from these proceedings of the French piscicul- 

 turists the most valuable lessons for the improvement and 



