9 



utilized as spat collectors. Such material as gravel and shrubbery 

 which are used in some places, need not concern us, since they 

 are all together impracticable on our coast, especially in the best 

 oyster regions. There are^ however, two sets of materials which 

 are very satisfactory and which are easily obtainable. These 

 are oyster shells, and so-called clam shells, the latter are found, 

 forming banks on the shores of many of" the inland bays and 

 lakes, and consists of shells of the Gnathodon and Area. These 

 "shell banks" contain immense quantities of whole and broken 

 shells. These shells, after they have been washed up into 

 -banks by the waves, and thoroughly dried in the sun, make the 

 finest sort of spat collectors. In this condition they are clean 

 and free from all foreign growth ; a condition which is very 

 essential to spat collection. Their size also commends them, 

 since it is impossible for more than one or two oysters to mature 

 on each shell. 



Spat always settles in far greater numbers on any clean 

 surface than can possibly mature. For instance, Dr. Kellogg 

 cites a case in Calcasieu Parish, where 350 young oysters were 

 counted on the inner surface of a shell approximately 2 by 1^^ 

 inches. Dr. Glasser records a case of 478 spat on a single oyster 

 shell, and also gives the average of young oysters on 100 shells as 

 87 each. 



To quote from Dr. Kellogg 's report : ' ' Once fixed, the oyster 

 must remain. But, starting with an even chance of obtaining 

 food, each makes a desperate struggle against all the others for 

 existence. They soon begin to crowd. Those that happen to 

 be attached nearest the mud are sometimes covered by the settling 

 deposit until they are forced to close the valves of their shell and 

 cease feeding till the tide-current is sufficient to re-open it. In the 

 meantime their fortunate companions above the mud have been 

 taking food and growing. This is repeated day after day. Often 

 the food obtained is not sufficient for existence and some perish. 



"Then those attached above the mud struggle for space. 

 They touch and crowd and can only increase in size by elongat- 

 ing, and as the individuals are so tenacious of life, we soon have 

 clusters of long, narrow, stunted, 'raccoon' oysters." 







