16 
Part III. — Ninth Annual Report 
Last year these fisheries gave much better returns than in the 
previous year; but if the statistics for the first four years be 
compared with those for the last four years, it will be seen that the 
value has lately greatly decreased. The gross value of the shore 
fisheries was, from 1883 to 1886 inclusive, £326,364, and from 
1887 to 1890 inclusive, £270,857, or a gross decrease for the latter 
period of £55,507. The decrease during the four years has been 
—Lobsters, £20,965; crabs, £25,810; oysters, £2998; mussels, 
£9186. On the other hand, clams, which are almost entirely 
limited to the Firth of Forth, have greatly increased. In 1886 the 
yield was valued at only £1256, while last year the value was 
£3311. 
The Suitability of Scottish Waters for Oyster Culture. — Last 
year the ' Garland ' was instructed to proceed to the West Coast in 
order to make an investigation of the condition of the natural 
oyster-beds there, and to ascertain, as far as possible, the likelihood 
of the oyster fisheries being re-established. This investigation was 
undertaken by Dr J. H. Fullarton, who gives the results in the 
present Keport. The Board also deputed Mr Anderson Smith, 
one of its members, to accompany the expedition, in order to give 
it the benefit of his knowledge regarding the oyster-beds and 
fisheries of the West Coast. Dr Fullarton refers to the previous 
flourishing condition of the oyster fisheries in Scottish waters, and 
describes the physical and biological conditions of a large number 
of the lochs in which oyster-beds once existed or exist now. The 
various lochs are considered in two groups — (1) those in which 
oyster-culture has been and is carried on ; and (2) those in which 
oyster-culture has not been hitherto attempted. The former com- 
prise Loch Crerau, where the most complete and careful experi- 
ments in oyster-culture ever made in Scotland were conducted 
by Mr Anderson Smith, West Loch Tarbert (Kintyre), and Loch 
Ryan. 
The second group of lochs visited by the ' Garland ' comprised 
Lochs Swen, Tarbert (Jura), Spelve (Mull), Loch-na-Keal (Mull), 
Harport (Skye), Greshornish, Killisport, Scridain, Sunart, Moidart, 
Aylort, and Dunvegan. In West Loch Tarbert and Loch Ryan, 
where oyster-culture has been successfully carried on for several 
years, the conditions were found to be very favourable ; and it is 
noteworthy that over 90 per cent, of all the oysters taken from 
Scottish waters are obtained from these two lochs. Dr Fullarton 
describes the conditions found in the various other lochs, and states 
his opinion as to their relative suitability for oyster-culture. 
On Bouchot Mussel- Culture and the Bouchot Experiment at 
St Andrews. — A Report by Dr J. H. Fullarton on this method of 
mussel-culture is contained in the present Report. He explains 
in detail the system followed at certain parts of the French coast, 
the description being based upon recent personal inspection of the 
French bouchots and study of the system on the spot. The results, 
so far as yet ascertained, of the experimental bouchot erected at St 
Andrews are also given. 
That the mussels on the wattles have outstripped in growth 
the mussels on the bed alongside would be a rash conclusion 
