THE CONSERVATION OF OUR OYSTER SUPPLY. 13 



banks about the 1st of July; the little spat at once cling to 

 it, if they are anywhere near, and they are allowed to remain on 



FIG. 7. TILE COLLECTORS. 



the tile until October, when they have attained " about the size of 

 a finger nail." The tiles are then carefully placed upon lighters 

 and floated ashore, where the seedling oysters are detached from 

 them " by short pushes of a chisel-like knife." The spat usually 



FIG. 8. WOODEN-TRAY COLLECTORS. 



averages on moderately clean ground about four hundred per 

 tile, but as many as two thousand have been counted on one tile 

 of fourteen inches by six. 



