THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 259
separated from the "cultch," a term used for the old shells, stones, &c., cleansed
by exposure to wind and rain, which are deposited in suitable parts of the river
to provide resting-places for the spat. The young oysters are again thrown into
the water. If this separation were not carefully done the oysters would grow
distorted and unmarketable.
At four years old the "Native" is at its best, and amongst the regalia at
Colchester is a silver oyster, beautifully modelled from a Colne oyster, to serve
as a standard of size, below which it is not proper to sell a Colne Native. During
the late summer, after the spatting season is over, dredging goes on, and the
four years old oysters picked out and conveyed to Pyefleet Creek, and deposited
there, this ground, by experience, being found to fatten the oyster much better
than the river. It is not, however, a good breeding-ground.
Large numbers of oysters are occasionally destroyed by Star-fishes, the
"Whelk Tingle," and the Sea Hedgehog (Echinus).
The common Mussel is a. very undesirable inhabitant of the oyster fishery, and
the destruction of these enemies is an important feature in oyster cultivation.
In the autumn, the Colchester Corporation visit the fishery, and performs
the opening ceremony. Upon their arrival at Brightlingsea, they embark upon
a barge, when the declaration of the opening of the fishery is read by the Town
Clerk, the company present immediately give a cheer, and at the same time a
flag is hoisted to announce to those on shore that the fishery has been declared
open. A gingerbread and a liqueur glass of gin is next handed round to each
person present, and success to the fishery is drunk; finally some dredging is
done, in order to judge how the season promises, and lunch is served.
It is needless to say that in these degenerate times this ceremony is carried
out at the expense of the members of the Corporation. The time for the com-
mencement of the fishing varies with the season. Later on it is customary for
the Mayor to entertain the Corporation and a large number of friends to a feast
upon oysters, a fixed number of the molluscs being supplied by the Oyster
Company, the remainder and larger quantity at the Mayor's expense. This
event is too well known to need enlarging upon.
At the conclusion of Mr. Shenstone's remarks, the President proposed a vote
of thanks to him and to Dr, Laver, and also to Mr. C. E Benham, who had
taken so much trouble in organising the meeting. These votes were carried by
acclamation, and the remainder of the afternoon was spent in strolling along the
side of the creek, and in searching for such plants and shells as could be gathered
on a hasty visit. Equisetum telmateia was noticed growing in great luxuriance
in a hollow near the Martello Tower, in company with Verbascum, A consider-
able number of the young caterpillars of the "Fox Moth" (Bombyx rubi) were
found feeding on the low herbage at St. Osyth Point, as well as plenty of the
curious "semi-looper" larvae of the pretty Noctuid moth, Enclidia mi, among
the glass stems. The only butterfly seen worthy of note was Cynthia cardui.
On the day previous to the meeting, Mr. Walter Crouch had had some shore-
hunting on Stone Point, St. Osyth, near the Martelio Tower shown above in Mr.
H. A. Cole's drawing. He found the mollusc Hydrobia ventrosa abounding by thou-
sands in the green weed in a brackish-water pond, originally part of the Tower
fosse ; and to some of the members, who came to the Ferry by the sea wall, he
pointed out the spot, and a number were taken. On the shore, and in the sea he
had gathered about a score of common mollusca. A few shells of the bivalve
A nomia ephippium occurred, and a quantity of Lacuna crassior. A shell of this
gastropod was taken in the Blackwater trip, 1888, but was not recorded then, as
it was not shown to Mr. Crouch till some time afterwards.3
3 On the succeeding day, on the shore of East Mersea, in company with Mr. W. Cole, Mr.
Crouch again found some of these shells ; and, amongst others, on the shell beach by the
Bowling Green," Lacuna pallidula, and quantities of Hydrobia ulvae, Rissoa membranacea,
and Utriculus obtusus, under the masses of Zostera, which are here washed up.