BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 43 



13 JOrB:VAI. OF OPEKATIOIVW OX THE <JROl'IV»S OF THE EASTERN 



88IOKE OYSTES? C0MJ*A:VV. ©."¥ CHINC'OTE A«UE BAY, NEAR STOCK- 

 TO.X, MO., DURIX4J THE StTMJIER OF 1SS3.* 



Couapaled by JOI2IV A. RYDER. 

 [From records kept by J. A. Ryder, George V. Shepard, and H.H.Pierce.] 



§ 1. (Mostly Mr. Shepard's Eecord.) 



June 27. — Mr. Eyder arrived at Mr. Sliepard's in company with Mr. 

 Pierce. 



June 28. — Went to Cedar Island oyster-beds ; discovered no catch of 

 spat on shells planted June, nor on those planted on more sandy bot- 

 toms about the 10th. 



June 30. — Messrs. Pierce and Eyder left in the afternoon for Snow 

 Hill, to settle upon some plans for experiment. 



July 2. — Messrs. Pierce and Eyder returned to the Shepard House. 



July 5 to 7. — Were employed in getting the pond excavated and pre- 

 pared for our experiment. 



July 7, 11.30 a. m. — Opened about two dozen oysters, about one-third 

 male and two-thirds female. Placed the eggs and milt at once in a pail 

 of water taken from the creek near the claire. Changed the water in 

 this pail at 1.30 p. m. At 4 p. m. contents of the pail were poured into 

 the claire. Eleven stakes, with shells strung on wire attached, placed 

 in the pond. 



July 8, 10.45 a. m. — Opened two dozen oysters, about two-fifths male 

 and three-fifths female. These oysters seemed to be in better spawning 

 condition than those of yesterday. Temperature of water in claire, 

 85° P.; in creek the same at 10 a. m. Temperature of air, 91° F. Spe- 

 cifiic gravity in creek at oyster house, 1.0175, United States Standard 

 Coast Survey hydrometer scale, to 1.015; in claire or j)ond, 1.018; in 

 Chincoteague Bay, 1.020; at head of creek, 1.010. 



July 0, 11 a. m. — Opened two dozen spawning oysters, "natural 

 growth." Poured this spawn into pond at 4 p. m. Temperature much 

 lower than yesterday. Specific gravity in creek, 1.018; claire, 1.018. 

 Tide very full. (Spring tide.) Mr. Eyder returned to Washington 

 this a. m. 



* This jonrnal gives a daily record of Ihe •vvoik at Stockton, the results of which 

 have already been puhlished in Bullet in U. S. Fish Coumiission, vol. Ill, pp. 281-"294, in 

 a paper by the editor of this journal, entitled, " Rearing oysters from artificially fer- 

 tilized eggs, together with notes on pond-culture, &c." Messrs. Shepard and Pierce, 

 I have elsewhere neglected to say, bore the, expense of excavating the pond used in 

 the experiment, and also had the gate or diaphragm made which was placed in the 

 trench leading from the pond to the bay in order to confine the spawn jjoured into the 

 inclosure. A letter from ilr. Pierce has also been incorporated, which will be interest- 

 ing as affording further confirmation of the results claimed in my first paper, the title 

 of which has been cited above. 



