THE ECONOMIC MOLLUSCA OF ACADIA. 
61 
everywhere around Prince Edward Island and the New 
Brunswick coast are shallow salt lagoons as well as many 
places where artificial ponds could be cheaply made. It has 
been proven by Prof. J. A. Ryder, that they can be raised in 
shallow ponds from artificially hatched eggs in the United 
States, and there is no reason to suppose that the same would 
not be possible with us. Seed-oysters of the best quality are 
at hand in the old beds. Another circumstance of the highest 
importance is the scarcity of Oyster enemies on our North 
Shore. The Starfish, which does annually more damage to 
the beds of the United States than the entire Canadian fishery 
is worth, is rare and does little damage on the North Shore. 
One old oysterman of Shediac told Mr. Ingersoll, of the United 
States Census Staff, that he had only seen three Starfishes in 
his life. The “ Drill” (Buccinum cineream), though present 
not common. Mr. Whiteaves did not find it at all in his 
examination of the Shediac beds. The same may be said of 
the Purple-shell ( Purpura lapillus), another enemy; it is 
present but rare, and was not seen by Mr. Whiteaves. The 
writer has made a careful examination of a large box of mud 
from the North Shore beds, which was taken from the barrels 
containing Oysters. In this, among the two dozen or more 
species and hundreds of individuals of Molluscs which live 
with the Oyster on the beds, not a single specimen of either of 
these species w r as found. Again, on the coast of the United 
States, two very destructive animals are the two Conchs or 
Winkles, Gasteropod Molluscs several inches in length, the 
Sycotypus canaliculatus and Fulgur carica. These are 
entirely wanting in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and if our beds 
are planted from our own, as they should be, there is no danger 
of their introduction. It surely must be an immense advan- 
tage to any culturist in our waters, that some Oyster-enemies 
are comparatively harmless and others entirely wanting. 
Doubtless, the reason for the scarcity of the above forms is 
due to the generally sandy character of the region, most of 
them being rock-loving species. Tiles for Oyster-culture could 
be made as cheaply in these Provinces as in the United States, 
and it is possible that some of our slate rocks could be utilized <. 
