papemationin 
PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 1926 631 
10 days’ protection, which is about one-fifth as much as they really 
need. I think sentiment will develop, and the work we do, whether 
it results in immediate regulation or not, will be appreciated later. 
SCALLOPS 
By J. 8S. GuTSELL 
The present scallop investigations, carried on chiefly at the Beaufort labora- 
tory, were begun in the summer of 1925 at the request of the Fisheries Com- 
mission Board of North Carolina. The request was prompted by the great 
depletion of this valuable fishery. 
The bay scallop fishery occupies an important place among the fishery indus- 
tries of the State and is an extremely important one among those of Carteret 
County, to which it is confined. Of recent years it has approximated, in 
financial importance, the oyster industry of the entire State, with an annual 
value of nearly $250,000—an important item in the prosperity of the community. 
- The bay scallop had been studied previously by various investigators, par- 
ticularly by Ritter, in Rhode Island, and Belding, in Massachusetts, with some- 
what conflicting results as to growth and length of life. Belding’s studies 
appear more convincing and his ideas have received wide acceptance. Accord- 
ing to him, the life of the scallop is somewhat as follows: Spawning in early 
summer, growth to a considerable size before the first winter, the formation of 
a distinct winter ring, growth during the second summer to marketable size, 
and death before the next summer. Belding also studied spawning and em- 
bryology. He obtained fertilization by induced spawning but did not have 
much success with artificial fertilization nor succeed in rearing beyond a very 
early shell stage. The embryology seems to have been worked out well by him. 
He found no evidence of scallop migration. Drew has studied the sea scallop 
and various European workers the European forms. Of special interest are 
Dakin’s memoir and Von Uexkull’s study on Tonus. 
I began these scallop studies with a general acceptance of Belding’s views, 
but with a mind open for differences due to the different conditions prevailing 
(particularly climatic differences), and with the hope of extending our under- 
standing and particularly of finding facts of immediate application to the local 
scallop fishery. 
During the summer of 1924, a survey by the Fisheries Commission Board 
revealed an unusually great and widespread abundance of scallops. A later 
survey, following unprecedentedly heavy rains, showed almost complete 
mortality, except over unaffected areas in lower Bogue Sound. The scallop 
fishery, active from December 1 to 15 and from January 1 to April 15, confirmed 
these findings revealing seallops in great abundance, where found at all. 
Although direct evidence is lacking, there seems to be no reason to doubt that 
water-freshening from abnormal rains over the watersheds caused the mortality. 
The first step in the investigation was to look for scallops. Dredging surveys 
revealed scallops in appreciable but not great numbers in one small area only, 
and that far from the laboratory. The area of recent abundance was extremely 
depleted. Fortunately, careful: raking in the dense aquatic vegetation of the 
flats at the laboratory revealed scallops in considerable abundance. These flats 
then became and have remained the principal work ground. Surveys have been 
made from time to time over formerly productive areas. Recently it was 
determined to try, in addition, an area chosen because of the small size attained 
by the scallops. 
The scallop is a hermaphroditic lamellibranch. possessed of the power to 
swim (for a short distance at a time), which inhabits shallow, grassy areas 
in decidedly salty water. Points chosen for special study were spawning, early 
life history and distribution, rate of growth, and age attained. Spawning is 
being studied by observation of gonadal conditions (both gross and histological) 
and by attempts at induced spawning and artificial fertilization. It has been 
learned that spawning occurs at least from spring to early winter. It has not 
been learned what are the governing factors, or definitely if there is a pre- 
dominating or principal spawning time. Indirect evidence seems to point to the 
fall as the principal time, but this may be due to incompleteness. This is of 
possible importance for regulation of the open season. Attempts at artificial 
fertilization have failed in all cases to yield developing eggs. Attemps at in- 
