110 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



very remarkable. They are long and narrow but stoutly 

 built, pointed at both ends and rather like a gondola in 

 appearance. They are much easier to row or push along 

 than would be thought from their appearance, and they 

 can also be used with sails. The lanes of water around 

 the pares are bordered by tall saplings with their twigs 

 left on which keep constantly waving in any slight breeze. 

 These are called "pignons," and they are not only service- 

 able as a boundary, but — the oyster men declare — they also 

 frighten away the fish and especially the krge voracious 

 ray, Myliobatis, which might otherwise do great damage 

 to the preserves (see PI. I, figs. 1, 4, and 6). 



Possible depradations of another kind are guarded against 

 by the "pontons" or large barges moored at the corners of 

 the pares in which the oyster police (gardes des peches) 

 live (see PI. I, fig. 6). 



Concessions of ground for oyster pares at Arcachon are 

 given by the state at about 30 francs the hectare, which 

 comes to be about 10 shillings per acre. The practical 

 men I met assured me that the industry was still thoroughly 

 successful, and they thought the present year was going 

 to be a very good one. M. Daste informed me that he had 

 already sent 11,000,000 of oysters this year to London. 

 He sends out two year olds, measuring 5 to 6 centimetres 

 across, at the rate of 12 francs per 1000, and somewhat 

 older ones, measuring 6 to 7 cm. across, at 25 francs per 

 1000 ; these prices include packing and carriage as far as 

 Bordeaux where they meet the steamer. On an average 

 only 1 per cent, of those exported die on the journey. 

 He considers from the 15th March to the 15th April the 

 best time to send young oysters for stocking purposes to 

 England. Before that it is liable to be too cold in 

 England, and later it is too hot in Arcachon for the 

 transportation to be effected safely. 



