IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND FRANCE. 27 



Besides cleaning the bed of the river for this purpose by 

 the almost constant use of the dredge, which is in part necessi- 

 tated by the large amount of mud held in suspension by the 

 rivers on the east coast, the foreshores are carefully strewn with 

 cultch, consisting of shells, &c, above and below low water mark. 

 The soil is usually of the same character, blue or London clay. 



In the Roach, the beard or fin of the oyster is of the green 

 colour so much esteemed in France, where they are usually sent 

 in consequence of the groundless prejudice against them in Eng- 

 land, where they are wrongly confounded with the Falmouth 

 oysters, which are green in the body, owing to the presence of 

 copper in the water, of which the Essex rivers are altogether free, 

 the greenness arising probably from the green weed growing on 

 the banks resembling, in many respects, that at Marennes * 



The greenish discoloration of the body, which is an indication 

 of copper, is not at all observable in the Essex oysters. 



In England several attempts at so-called artificial culture have 

 been made, under which misnomer all efforts to increase the 

 means of breeding and fattening oysters must for the sake of con- 

 venience be classed. An attempt made at Southend, in Essex, to 

 cultivate the foreshores by placing tiles as collectors of spat in 

 1864 was unsuccessful, but the reason is not known, nor the 

 conditions under which the experiment was made. In the Roach 

 the culture was attempted with fair prospects of success ; but 

 owing to the reprehensible practice of the passing barges ground- 

 ing needlessly on the banks, the experiment was per force aban- 

 doned, and the cultivation now employed consists in spreading 

 fresh cultch along the shores, just above and below low water 

 mark, during the spatting season, and the trouble and expense 

 gone to by the proprietors of oyster grounds to obtain fresh sup- 

 plies of cultch, proves the importance they attach to the clean- 

 liness of their spat collectors. The most important, from its 

 magnitude, as well as the great success which attended its 

 earlier operations, is that of Hay ling Island, on the Hampshire 

 coast. It is on the enclosure system. The collectors employed 

 are hurdles, fascines, and twigs. Operations were commenced 

 in 1866, and a spat obtained the same year in a pond of four 

 acres ; in 1867 the area under cultivation was increased to three 

 ponds, containing altogether thirty-four acres, the largest of these 

 (eighteen acres) contained in the spatting season for that year a 

 wonderful amount of spat, of which some idea may be formed, 

 when in addition to three millions saved, many millions perished 

 for want of adequate provision for their reception. It comprises 



* Green Bearded Oysters, River Roach, Essex 41, Finsbury-square, 



Dec. 2nd, 1863. Fredk. Wiseman, esq. Sir, — In accordance with your re- 

 quest I have made a very careful examination of the Green Oysters from the 

 River Roach, or Crouch, which you left with me for analysis yesterday, and I 

 find that the green tint which is present in the gills only of the oyster is due 

 entirely to a natural pigment which does not contain a trace of copper or other 

 deleterious matter. The oysters are therefore perfectly nutritious and whole- 

 some. — I remain, sir, yours truly, Hr. Letheby, m.a., &c, Professor of Che- 

 mistry in the College of the London Hospital, and Medical Officer of Health 

 and Food Analyst for the City of London. 



