SEA-EISHEBIES LABOKATOBY. 89 



as fresh as possible from the sea, or from moving water. 

 It is not good for any animal — the oyster is like its 

 consumer in this as in many other respects — to be shut 

 up in a barrel or a sack for days or weeks, and if you put 

 the oyster under unhealthy conditions, you will probably 

 eat unhealthy oysters. 



A careful consideration, then, of our own experiments, 

 and of the evidence given in the recent Local Government 

 Board Eeport and derived from other sources, leads us to 

 the conclusion that what is indicated at the present time 

 is that (1) some fisheries or sanitary authority should offer 

 to inspect the beds, and certify as to their condition; 



(2) the oyster growers and merchants should unite in an 

 effort to remove all grounds for suspicion by allowing 

 biological as well as economical considerations to weigh 

 with them in their choice of localities for "laying," and 



(3) the public should not give way to unnecessary alarm. 

 We cannot escape disease germs, and we probably all of 

 us encounter them frequently without any consequences. 

 Shellfish only share with milk, bread, cold meat, the 

 water we drink, and the air we breathe the responsibility 

 of occasionally being liable to convey disease to the 

 human body, and that is no sufficient reason for avoiding 

 what is otherwise healthy food. Common-sense on the 

 part of the public, reform where necessary by the oyster 

 trade, and regulation by some impartial authority, ought 

 to enable us to feed on healthy oysters with an easy 

 mind. 



The Mabine Labobatoby at Piel. 

 In the introduction to last year's report I alluded to 

 the fitting up of a branch laboratory at Piel (Koa Island) 

 in Barrow Channel. At first it was only proposed that 

 the large boat house attached to the house known as 

 Villa Marina should be made use of, and under these 



