MOLLUSCA. 177 



States. These were deposited in the beds of Saint- 

 Wast^ under M. Coste's immediate superintendence, 

 and in November following it was ascertained that 

 the specimens were healthy, and promise to supply 

 abundance of spawn for the propagation of the 

 species on all the coasts of France. This experiment 

 has induced M. Coste to make preparations for accli- 

 matizing on the French littoral all the best kinds of 

 mollusca from different parts of the globe, and we 

 learn that Professor Agassiz has offered his aid in 

 this useful undertaking. 



The opening of the oyster fisheries at the 

 mouth of the river Auray, in France, coincided on 

 the 30th of September 1861, with the meeting of 

 the Agricultural Society of the province, presided 

 over by the Princess Bacciocchi. At two o'clock in 

 the afternoon, 220 fishing-boats, covered with flags 

 and flowers of all descriptions, sailed out to the 

 oyster-beds, in presence of an immense concourse of 

 people, which had spread itself over the bridges, 

 along the quays, on the side of the mountain Du 

 Loch, and all along the port of Auray, the weather 

 being magnificent. The boats anchored on the 

 Plessix bed, about half a mile from the port, and 

 commenced dredging. In the short space of one hour 

 the product of this fishing amounted to 350,000 oysters. 

 In the evening the little town of Auray was illumi- 

 nated, and dancing kept up out of doors to a late 



