BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 45 



August 1. — Took spawn from eighteen oysters taken from the float 

 at oyster house and brought from Cedar Island Channel three days ago. 

 Spawn seemed poor, coming from very watery oysters. Spawn stood 

 iij the pail about three and a half hours and was put into the claire 

 at 3.30 p. m. Temperature of water in claire at 3.30 p. ra., 84° F.; tem- 

 perature of air in sun, strong south breeze, 88° F. ; in shade, 80^ F. ; 

 temperature of water in jiail emptied into pond, 76° F. 



August 3. — No spawn to be got from inshore oysters. 



August 4. — ^o spawn to be got from oysters taken from Cedar Island 

 Channel. 



August 5. — Found plenty of spawning oysters on the float (at oyster 

 house), and put that taken from about one and a half dozen into claire 

 a.t G.30 p. ra. Temperature of air in the sun at the pond, 83^ F. ; tem- 

 perature of water in the pond, 81° F. ; in the creek, 83° F. 



August 6. — Took spawn from about two dozen oysters taken from the 

 float. These oysters, two days ago, had apparently little or no spawn 

 in them. Found a good proportion of males. Sjiawn emptied into 

 claire about 10 o'clock. Put out five new collectors. Temperature of 

 air in sun over claire, 92° F. ; of water in claire, 79° F. ; in bay, 80° F. 



Wednesday, August 21. — Had Sharply, a laborer, examine pond. He 

 reports the discovery of several young oysters of considerable size. 



Thursday, August 23. — Went to the claire or pond in person and made 

 a more thorough examination, and found quite a numerous set of spat 

 on collectors put in place July 7 to 12; some as large as a 10-cent piece; 

 could not discover any on collectors of a later date with the naked 

 eye ; sent several shells by mail to Mr. J. A. Ryder, at Wood's Holl, 

 Mass. 



August 31. — Examined i)ond and found a set of spat on collectors, 

 put down as late as the 20th August, but could see none on collectors 

 of a later date with the naked eye. The slimy deposit on the shells is 

 great and is apparently increasing. 



§ 3. (Memorandum by Mr. Eyder.) 



Summarizing the foregoing data, the following facts maybe especially 

 noticed. Seventeen lots of spawn were put into the pond from July 7 

 to August 6, inclusive. An average of 22 adult oysters were sacrificed 

 each time a fresh lot of spawn was obtained. The entire number of 

 adult oysters sacrificed was 378, of which x^robably not more than half 

 actually yielded spawn. 



Nine lots of shell collectors were placed in position altogether, from 

 July 7 to August G, inclusive. From eleven to as few as three were 

 placed in position in one day in the pond. The whole number of collec- 

 tors, consisting of stakes supporting garlands of oyster shells strung on 

 galvanized wire, was 51. 



