22 



ber above one and one-half inches was greater than the number 

 of those of smaller size. The present growth, instead of being 

 elongated, as is usually the case on reefs surrounded by soft 

 mud, are all well rounded and have the maximum volume for 

 their length. 



CONDITIONS IN THE OPEN GULP. 



AVhile at the Station two summers ago Dr. Kellogg started 

 some experiments to determine the feasibility of establishing 

 oyster beds in the open waters of the gulf near Cameron. The 

 conditions existing in the gulf at a depth of eighteen or twenty 

 feet were, according to Dr. Kellogg 's observations, very favor- 

 able for the growth of oysters, with the one exception of the 

 character of the bottom, or rather, the fluctuating character of 

 the bottom. The instability of the bottom was due apparently 

 to the deposition of large amounts of sediment brought down by 

 the water of the river in times of freshet and deposited in the 

 shallow waters of the gulf, forming a layer several inches in 

 thickness as the result of the sediment brought down during a 

 single heavy rain. 



During May and June of 1905 observations on the amount 

 Ci sediment in the water of the river and on the area of distribu- 

 tion of this sediment in the gulf were made, covering a period 

 of several weeks. Samples of water were taken from the chan- 

 nel between the jetties, where the current was always swift. 

 One liter was measured out and allowed to settle until all the 

 sediment had collected in a definite layer on the bottom of the 

 graduate, leaving the water in the upper part of the vessel per- 

 fectly clear. The volume of the sediment was then read off 

 from the bottom of the graduate and the percentage by volume 

 calculated. The contents of the graduate were then filtered, 

 the precipitate dried at 100 degrees Centigrade, and weighed 

 after being cooled in a desiccator. 



The results of these observations are given in the follow- 

 ing table : 



