BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. V6\ 



young oysters which set or become affixed seems to be relatively much 

 greater. The take or set of spat in the best oyster coves or creeks does 

 not seem to be generally so abundant, yet its growth, as the specimens 

 figured show, is very rapid, far more so than that of the smaller, vivip- 

 arous European edible oyster, but about equal to that of the oviparous 

 Portuguese species. 

 Washington, D. C, January 29, 1885. 



96.— REPORT OF A TRIP TO LONG ISLAND IN SEARCH OF SKELE- 

 TONS OF THE RIGHT WHALE, RAL2ENA CISARCT4CA. 



By FREDERICK W. TRUE, 



Curator of Mammals, U. S. National Museum. 

 [From a letter to Prof. S. F. Baird. ] 



Following your instructions I went to Southampton, Long Island, on 

 the 30th of January, to find out whether it would be possible to pro- 

 cure for the Museum the skeleton of one of the four whales reported 

 to have been recently captured near that place. Upon arriving at 

 Southampton, I found that the newspaper accounts were substantially 

 correct and that four specimens of the Atlantic right whale {Balama 

 cisarctica) had been captured. The carcasses lay on the beach at the 

 following points. One near Bridgehamptou, one 3 miles east of the 

 Southampton life-saving station, one 2.J west of the same, and one 

 near the Amagansett station. The first was said to be a male and 

 the others females. An agent of Mr. Ward's arrived at Southampton 

 and took possession of the skeleton at Amagansett, and I did not 

 therefore go to examine that specimen. I examined both of those near 

 Southampton. The skull of that to the west had been hacked in pieces 

 with axes and various parts were missing, so that it was of no value. 

 The skull of the specimen lying to the east of the station I secured, but 

 the skeleton had been washed out to sea. This specimen was not so 

 large as some of the others, but the skull is in a good state. The latter 

 is about 10 feet in length. I secured also a slab of whalebone through 

 the kindness of Captain Herrick, who threw the fatal lance. The Bridge- 

 hampton specimen I could get no certain information about, and consid- 

 ering the condition of the others did not deem it warrantable to go to 

 further expense. 



The spoils of the expedition are, therefore, a skull, an eye, a slab of 

 whalebone, and the " bonnet." The skull will be forwarded as soon as 

 it is ascertained by what route it can be most economically sent. 



Mr. Nelson Burnett, keeper of the Southampton Station, and his men 



