11 



The ('.>ii(litions of lliis ivd" ;irc sliuuii in tlir rull..\\iii- liihir, 



\vliicli uivt's llic jiiiiniiiit dl' (Milliiiiis roiiiiil while si'-Miri';'^- ii;m- 

 ])0('k (.f s;il;il.l.' oystrrs. 



Locntiim. \)^':\<\ Shells. Siiialls Oysters jiiid Spnl. Mussels. 



S..u1h end ivef. . . . r)4 :n7 



]\Ii(l(lle i);ii-1 ivef. . (iS 2S4 13 



North end nvf. ... TJO r,(i:5 7!) 



The most iintieenhle lejituiv of IIk'si' counts is the ^ivjit nuMi- 

 l)er of yoiiii'^ oysters jind si);it lound. .M;iny ol the spat wei-e 

 less than five iiiillinielers in diaiiietei-; some, indeed, heini;' only 

 thfee-roiii-ths of a ndllimeter, showinu' that they had been at- 

 tached not more than two weeks at the longest. The small por- 

 tion <»r adult oystei-s found is due to the fact that durin-- the 

 ])ast spi-inu' and sununei- hu.idi'eds of barrels of oysters wei-e 

 taken from this i-e.-f to he bedded in other parts of the bay an. I 

 its ti-il)utaries: besides, the l)oat usiim di-edLics liad been at woi'l: 

 daily on this reef foi- some three weeks before the counts al)ove 

 re('or(h'd wi're made. 



In other portions of the bay. and espeially in some (d" its 

 li'ibutaries there were foi'inerly som<' impoi-tant beds. The 

 lari!-est of th.'se wer.' the ones in Hell lloh' and in the bayous 

 about Lake Kearman. 



'idle beds at Hell Hole were ill shallow water. a;i<l at times 

 Avlieii thi'i-e was a heavy north wind the entire bed was (lr.\-. .\t 

 such times the o\-s1ermen were accustomed to uo about and pick 

 up the oysters, leaviiii;' them in piles to be taken up when the 

 heds were auaiii co\'ered with water. 



Tile beds in the bax'oiis about Lake Fearman wfre in froii 

 tMuht to tifleen feet of water. 



As both of these areas produced especiall\- line oysters they 

 were kept llshi'd down very (dosely. The prolonL;v<l freshet of 

 Ihe past sprine' (m niph'bd their dest rui-t io,i. so that at the tiiii" 

 of my visit not a simjle live oysfei- could be found on any of 

 these n'cfs. 



In the northeastern arm (d" \'ermilion Uay. <-alled Weeks 

 Bav. there are isolated (dusters of ovsters scatt.Mvd over llie 



