6 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
Lescarbot speaks of the occurrence of Mussels at St. Croix 
Island, and referring to the natural productions of the 
country, says: “ I would be forced to make an entire book if 
I should discourse on all the fishes which are common to the 
Brazilians, Floridians, Armouchiquois, Canadians and Souri- 
quois. But I will restrain myself to two or three, after having 
said that at Port Koyal there are great beds of Mussels, with 
which we filled our boats when sometimes we went to those 
places. There are also there, Scallops, ( Palourdes ),* twice as 
large as Oysters in size; also Cockles, which have never failed 
us.” He makes a few other incidental references to this 
subject. 
The next work to mention our Molluscs, appears to be the 
“ Description Geographique et Historique des Costes de 
P Amerique Septentrionale,” and the “ Historie Naturelle. . . . 
de P Amerique Septentrionale,” by Nicholas Denys, in 1672. 
The latter work, especially, contains several references of 
considerable interest, though of not much scientific import- 
ance. He knew of the occurrence of the Oyster at several 
points on the North Shore, notably around George’s Bay, at 
Malagash (?), Tatamagouche, Pictou, at Cocagne and tha 
Bras D’or Lake. Other Shell-fish he frequently refers to, and 
mentions their abundance at several places, for instance, the 
region near Cape Sable, La Heve Harbor, George’s Bay, near 
the mouth of Bras D’or Lakes, Tatamagouche, Miramichi, 
Bathurst, Port Daniel. He noticed Bazor-fish ( Coutel - 
lieres), near Cape Sable, and Scallops ( Conniffle), at La Heve. 
His interesting description of the Squid and of the oyster- 
fishery, will be noticed under the sections on those animals. 
We have not been able to find that anything on this subject 
worthy of note was written during the last century. Occa- 
sional references to the North Shore oyster-beds occur, but 
nothing further. Charlevoix, in his “ Historie de la Nouvelle 
France,” (1744), is said to have referred to the manner of fish- 
ing Oysters on the coast of Acadia, which was the same as 
* Mr. J. H. Duvar tells the writer that the Acadian French of Prince Edward 
Island apply this word to the Quahog. It appears to have meant the Scallop to 
Lescarbot. 
