PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 1926 d47 
pose. The Pearl covered 1,034 miles between Corpus Christi and 
Galveston, visiting the following localities: Corpus Christi and 
Nueces Bays, Corpus Christi Pass, Aransas Pass, Aransas Copano, 
Mesquite, San Antonio, Espiritu Santo, Matagorda, Lavaca, Karan- 
kawa, and Trespalacios Bays, Cedar Lakes, and West, Galveston, 
and East Bays. 
The program of observations consisted in the examination of the 
bottoms, readings of temperature, determination of salinity, alka- 
linity, and turbidity of water; measurements of currents; examina- 
tion of oyster reefs; and studies of the plankton. 
It was found that oyster reefs in Texas coastal waters produce 
enormous quantities of oysters, some of which have little market 
value; on the other hand, bottoms suitable for oyster culture are 
rather scarce. It is necessary, therefore, to exploit the suitable 
bottoms to their full capacity by planting young oysters on them, 
and to use the overcrowded reefs as the source of an almost unlimited 
supply of seed oysters. 
The following recommendations for the development of the oyster 
industry were based on this survey: 
1. It is recommended that the State authorities encourage the 
development of oyster farming under private enterprise and dis- 
courage the exploitation of the natural beds as rapidly as the de- 
velopment of oyster farming will permit. 
2. In the meantime, it is recommended that the State authorities 
aid in demonstrating the practicability of oyster farming and in 
increasing the production of the present natural beds by (a) the 
planting of single or culled young oysters over the bottoms in Aransas 
Bay, Mesquite Bay, Lavaca Bay north of Sandy Point, Kellers Bay, 
Karankawa Reef, mouth of Trespalacios Bay, and Matagorda Bay, 
between Portsmouth and Pallacios Points; (6) the planting of shells 
in Nueces Bay; (¢c) experimental planting of shells on Karankawa 
Reef and in other bays in order to determine the setting areas. 
3. Certain biological data should be collected, as, for example, 
(a) observations of the time of spawning in various bays; (6) con- 
tinuation of the taking of samples of water for further examination 
in the laboratory of the United States Bureau of Fisheries. 
4. Where reefs form barriers, preventing the mingling of fresh 
water and sea water, it is suggested that the State encourage the cut- 
ting of passes through the reefs by permitting the use of the “mud 
shells” for commercial purposes. 
South Carolina.—A survey was made in April, 1926, by Dr. P. S. 
Galtsoff and H. F. Prytherch, of the coastal waters of South Caro- 
lina for the purpose of determining the most suitable methods for 
conserving and building up the oyster industry. Headquarters were 
established at Beaufort, and an examination was made of the coastal 
region from Cape Romain to the Savannah River so as to cover the 
most important and representative oyster-growing localities. Deter- 
minations were made of the physical and biological characteristics 
of the oyster-growing regions as a basis for recommending such ex- 
perimental planting operations and methods of culture as will bring 
about the greatest development of the oyster fishery and the most 
successful utilization of the oyster grounds. A report covering the 
results of the investigation has been published, together with a chart 
