CONTENTS. 













Page 



Warrant appointing the Commission, 



3 



Instructions to the Commission, 













5 



Report to the Lord Lieutenant, 













7 



Places visited by the Commissioners, 













7 



Natural History of the Oyster, 













8 



Various branches of Oyster fisheries, 













14 



Natural Oyster banks, 













20 



Causes of Decline of Production, 













22 



Oyster Fisheries of England, 













25 



Do. Jersey, 













28 



Do. Scotland, 













29 



Do. Wales, 













29 



Do. Ireland, 













29 



The various methods of Oyster culture, 













35 



Appropriate places for cultivation, 













45 



Summary, 













47 



Recommendations, 













52 



Conclusion, 













53 



Appendices : 



A. — Convention between Her Majesty and the Emperor of the French relative 



to the Fisheries between Great Britain and France, . . .55 



B. — Decree of the Emperor of the French relative to the Oyster Fisheries, . 56 



C. — Number of Oyster parks and beds situated in the Bay of Cancale, . 64 



D. — Return of the Jersey Oyster Fishery, 6G 

 E — Report on the Temperature of the Surface of the Sea on the Coasts of 



Great Britain, Ireland, and France, by Professor Hennessy, . . 68 



Observations by the Coast-guard of Temperature of the Sea, . . 76 



Abstract of the Tables of Temperature, . . . . . 124 



Observations continued, ....... 136 



F. — Licences granted to plant Oyster-beds in Ireland, . . .152 



G. — Digest of the Acts of Parliament and Bye-Laws for the regulation of the 



Irish Oyster Fisheries, by Thomas F. Brady, Inspector of Irish Fisheries, 155 

 H. — Report by Professor Sullivan on the Composition of the Soils of Oyster 



Grounds, ........ 166 



I. — Queries issued by Commission to Coast-guard, .... 176 



K. — Extracts from Report of the Royal Commission on the Sea Fisheries of 



the United Kingdom, ....... 177 



L. — Reports relative to French Oyster Fisheries, . . . .179 



M. —Society for affording Relief to the Sailors of Concarneau, . . 189 



N. —Information relative to the Oyster Breeding Establishments at He de Re, 190 



O.— Whitstable Oyster Fishery, ...... 191 



PLATES. 



1. He de Re'. 



2. Auray. 



3. Arcachon Basin. 

 4 and 5. Lahillon. 



6. Collectors at Hayling. 



7. Marennes. 



8. Tremblade. 



9. Hayling. 



10. Map of Ireland, showing distribution 

 of temperature and Oyster Banks. 



