56 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



differently until it was too late to go to the natural grounds. Seven 

 dredgings were made on planted bottom. The first three on land 

 planted by Mr. Thompson and the last four on ground planted by Mr. 

 S. H. Lowndes. 



First dredge : 12 feet water, 39 oysters, 3 whelks, shells. 



Second dredge : 12 feet water, 45 oysters, 3 sea spiders, shells. 



Third dredge : 12 feet water, 40 oysters, shells. 



Fourth dredge (oysters five years old) : 461 oysters, 4 spiders. 



Fifth dredge (oysters three years old) : 180 oysters. 



Sixth dredge (oysters three years old) : 130 oysters. 



Seventh dredge (oysters three years old) : 221 oysters. 



On the oysters taken' in the first haul a few u set" were found but not 

 on the rest. Drills were found in considerable number. The harbor 

 appears to be pretty well adapted to the- growth of oysters, as most of 

 those taken were large and of fine flavor. A good deal of the seed for 

 the planted beds comes from Connecticut, although some is obtained 

 from the Sound and from the natural beds of the harbor. -These latter 

 are found to occupy a goodly share of the bottom in the northeast part 

 of the harbor. So far this season the star-fish have not been trouble- 

 some. A source of considerable controversy in the neighborhood of 

 this harbor is the freedom with which' outsiders can come into the har 

 bor and stake out claims to the detriment of the native residents. It 

 is claimed that a good many people from Connecticut come over to 

 Northport, rent a house during the oyster season, work the natural and 

 planted beds for all they are worth, and then live in Connecticut dm- , 

 ing the rest of the year. The people of Northport are very desirous 

 that laws should be established to prevent this. It is indeed a very 

 general complaint along the north side of the island that Connecticut 

 oystermen can come into New York State waters and gather oysters, but 

 that New York oystermen are deprived by the laws of Connecticut from 

 returning the compliment. They consider this as unjust to the people 

 of the State. 



September 24. — Princess Bay. Most of the ground in the neighborhood 

 of this bay was originally natural oyster ground, but it has now been 

 mostly surrendered and staked out for purposes of planting, and it re- 

 presents perhaps the largest area of staked claims anywhere in the 

 neighborhood of New York. 



The Lookout in steaming through the water in this region seemed as if 

 literally going through a sea of stakes. Mr. Wesley Marshall was 

 taken on board from his oystersmack, the Joseph Francis, as pilot, and 

 four dredgings were made on the natural beds outside the staked limits, 

 bat the bottom was found to be very muddy, and in the first three 

 dredgings only mud and shells were taken. In the fourth dredging 

 two oysters were obtained, showing very clearly that the natural 

 ground in these Avaters was of very little value except for clams, Avhich 

 are found quite plentifully in certain localities. The next two dredg- 

 ings were made on Mr. Marshall's planted grouud. 



