INTRODUCTION TO SECOND EDITION. 



The scientific and practical study of the American 

 oyster by the Johns Hopkins University began in 1878 

 with the discovery by Professor Brooks that the Amer- 

 ican oyster, unlike that of northern Europe, breeds its 

 young by throwing the eggs out into the water, where 

 fertilization and development take place. He was the 

 first to fertilize the eggs artificially and to study the 

 development of the embryo ; and he pointed out the 

 practical bearing of his discoveries on the propagation 

 of the oyster. A medal was awarded to him for this 

 work by the ' Societe d'Acclimatation ' (Paris) in 

 1881. 



In 1882 he was appointed by the Governor of Mary- 

 land a " Commissioner to examine the oyster beds, and 

 to advise as to their protection and improvement ; " and 

 after two years of investigation of the area where 

 oysters are to be found in Maryland, he submitted a 

 report, in 1884, in which the causes of the deterioration 

 of the beds are discussed, and recommendations made 

 for their restoration and development. 



Realizing the general need for more accurate knowl- 

 edge about the oyster and its possibilities in Maryland, 

 he published, in 1891, a popular treatise on the various 

 phases of the oyster question, called ' The Oyster." 



