BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 47 



may possibly be conuected with another of some significance, namely, 

 the great (leveloi>ment or augmentation of the volume of the connective 

 tissue of the animal during the winter months, wben oysters are said 

 to be fat or in good condition. This increase of the connective tissue 

 mass in bulk and consistency may probably be regarded as a winter 

 storage of reserve material, which upon the approach of warmer weather 

 is gradually converted into germs. Such an opinion is supported by a 

 large number of facts, derived from a study of the minute structure or 

 the histology of the oyster. 



Another fact of considerable importance is what Mr. Pierce notes re- 

 garding the late spawning of the oyster, which is in accord with ray 

 more exact observations made in 1880. I then found that spawning or 

 spatting occurred during the period intervening from about July 1 to late 

 in October, or that spat fell and fixed itself for a period extending over 

 at least three and a half, if not for even as much as four months. This 

 would indicate that in the case of the American species it is probably 

 possible for the culturist to avail himself of the chance of collecting spat 

 on collecting apparatus put out at intervals during the whole of this 

 prolonged period of the reproductive activity of the animal. 



Washington, D. C, November 19, 1883. 



14.— IVOTES OIV THE ME: IV HA DEN FII!»HIIVC} OF 18S3. 



By OSCAR O. FRIEDLAEIVDER. 



[From letters to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



The result as far as dollars and cents are concerned was very unsatis- 

 factory this year on account of the poor yield of oil. We had a large catch 

 from our own boats — about 50 per cent, more than last year — 26,053,250 

 fish. There was a yield of 49,900^ gallons of oil. The average price 

 was 39.6 cents. The above quantity included 2,614,800 fish jjurchased 

 from outsiders. 



Last year we had 23,996,650 fish, including 9,766,700 bought from 

 outsiders. These yielded 121,553 gallons of oil. The average price was 

 39 cents. 



This year's price would have been much higher had it not been for 

 the very heavy import of Japanese fish oil — something entirely new 

 here. The fish were much better in October and November, and, al- 

 though the weather was very favorable, only small bodies of big sea 

 menhaden were caught here. The catch on the east end of Long Island 

 and Ehode Island was better than here, and the fish yielded about double 

 the quantity of oil. The Church firm caught with four steamers over 

 60,000,000 fish. I sent some of the last caught fish to Mr. E. G. Black- 



