416 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



in Paris in 1883 was reckoned at 5,270 tons, and it is 

 worthy of note that the price of them is nearly 50 per 

 cent, dearer than it was ten years ago. 



The oyster will breed best in salt water, but it will 

 become fatter and of better flavour in moderately brackish 

 water. The " natives " of the Thames — those that are 

 fattened in the mouth of the Thames, the Crouch,' the 

 Roach, and other rivers on the Kent, Essex and Suf- 

 folk coasts — are most prized for the reason that they 

 find there the conditions best suited to their growth. 

 The Roach oysters are green-bearded. These have for 

 years been sent to Ostend, and from thence to Paris, 

 Berlin, etc., as Ostend oysters. 



It is somewhat curious to notice that while over one 

 million bushels of oysters, valued at 311,515 dollars, were 

 received in the districts of the United States in 1870, 

 the value had gradually declined year by year to 31,600 

 bushels, valued at 24,845 dollars in 1878. This must 

 arise evidently from the home production in the river 

 beds and parks being now amply suflScient for the home 

 demand. 



There is now a large export trade in oysters from the 

 United States across the Atlantic; commencing with 

 42,839 barrels in 1876 it has increased to 90,663 barrels, 

 valued at 453,306 dollars. They are shipped in barrels 

 by the steamers, and generally arrive in good condition, 

 being packed with seaweed and com meal. The great 

 bulk come to England, and those for the Continent go 

 almost exclusively to Amsterdam. Dried oysters are 

 imported into the States to the value of 13,447 dollars. 

 The imports of other moUusks or shell-fish into America 

 range in value from 300,000 to 600,000 dollars. 



The American species of oyster are Ostrea virginica, 

 Gmelin, 0. borealis, Linn., and 0. lurida, Cpr., of the 

 west coast. 



Some idea of the magnitude of the American oyster 

 business may be gained from the reports of the Oyster 

 Commission in 1868. They stated the aggregate col- 

 lected in Chesapeake Bay at about twenty-five million 



