244 MARITIME PISCICULTURE. 



in the simplicity of bearded rawness, or in the savoury 

 comeliness of pates. Our youthful reminiscences lead 

 us to be compassionate to the idiosyncrasies of those 

 stomachs which rise against raw oysters. The first 

 dish of them presented to our inexperience filled us 

 with horror, as we more than suspected that they were 

 dead, men's eyes ! A companion, more adventurous, 

 having introduced one into his mouth, was seized with 

 such difficulty of either eating or swallowing it, that he 

 actually carried it home to his mother between his 

 teeth, and from her received an explanation of the 

 nature of the mysterious morsel. 



The subject of ostreo-culture is now em braced within 

 the interesting field of inquiry to which we apply the 

 term pisciculture ; and the results are so remarkable as 

 to be worthy of the attention of all interested in mari- 

 time industry. In regard to oysters, also, we have to 

 deplore that diminution of their numbers, of w r hich we 

 have such growing experience in the case of salmon, 

 and other valuable species of fish. The reason of the 

 enormous loss thus sustained is not to be sought for in 

 the lessened energy of the reproductive powers of these 

 tenants of the waters, but in the senseless greed of man, 

 destroying them by millions while their generative 

 functions are in exercise, or before they have attained 

 maturity. Oyster-beds, once famous for the abundance 

 and quality of their products, have been depopulated 

 alike on the shores of Great Britain and of France. Of 

 the consequent injury to the national wealth of both 

 countries some conception may be formed when it is 

 known that, from the island of Jersey alone, 200,000 

 bushels of oysters are annually exported; and 250 boats, 

 1500 men, and 1000 women and children, are employed 

 during the season. The artificial rearing of oysters at 

 Marennes furnishes annually fifty millions of oysters, 

 averaging, according to M. Coste, three francs per hun- 

 dred ; and thus yielding the enormous sum of two mil- 

 lions of francs. The oyster is therefore of importance as 



