7/28/2019 TasNat 1928 Vol2 No4 Pp5 Lord Mussels Oysters

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THE TASMANIAN NATURALIST. 5

aountry schools may he, on ploughed fields, the hest of workedspecimens may often he found. Such should be treatedreverently as the highest expression of the culture of 'one of ourextinct races. The writer of these notes will feel tha t they havebeen of some service i f they are instrumental in ever 8 0 slighta degree, in turning the thoughts of young Tasmanians towardstheir own heritage, with its wonderful manifestations. Eachschool should have its Mu,seum, and some one 1:10 encouragethose who may show i n t e r e s t ~and demonstrate to all the speci-mens that they bring to it .

Mussels and OystersI t will be remembered tha t on several occasions at Club

meetings I have asked members to pay attention t o ' the oldaboriginal kitchen middens, owing to some of these showingalternate layers of Oyster and Mussel shells. From this i t would

appear at first sight that there was some evidence that thesespecies increased and decreased in alternating periods. Fu,rtherconfirmation has been given to this view owing t o the greatdecrease of oysters in Tasmanian waters over half a centurya ~ . For years there has been a great quantity of mussels i nmany localities, but these in the last few years have certainlydecreased in some places, and we know that the oysters areincreasing, particularly in New Zealand or "Black Oyster,"which has been introduced in Ralph's Bay and other places.

In view of the foregoing, i t is of interest to note that in thelast annual report of the Fisheries Department of New SouthWales i t is reported tha t in Middle Harbour (Sydney) thegrowth of mussels was increasing to such an extent that theywill soon completely oust the oyster growth. Considerabledata is needed before any definite conclusions can be reached,and members of the Club can assist in this matter, as anyobservations will be welcomed.

C;L.