REPORT ON THE INQUIRY RESPECTING FOOD-FISHES AND 

 THE FISHING-GROUNDS. 



By Hugh M. Smith, Assistant in Chmuje. 



OYSTER INVESTIGATIONS. 

 LOUISIANA. 



In May, 1897, a coiniunnicatioii was received from Hon. Adolph 

 Meyer, member of Congress from Louisiana, transmitting a resolution 

 of the general assembly of that State requesting" the Commission to 

 make an investigation of the oyster-grounds of Louisiana. The special 

 object of the desired investigation was to obtain information on which 

 to base a revision of the oyster laws, with a view to place the oyster 

 industry on a more substantial basis. The legislature was informed 

 that the Commission would undertake the investigation at the earliest 

 practicable date. 



In August, 1897, Dr. H. F. Moore went to Louisiana to make some 

 preliminary inquiries tliat could not be satisfactorily undertaken at 

 any other season. It had been determined to detail the steamer Fish 

 Hawh (Lieut. Franklin Swift, U. S. N., commanding) early in the winter 

 for the proposed investigation, but the vessel could not reach the field 

 of operations before February 2, 1898, and the time available for this 

 work was curtailed by the exigencies of the annual shad-hatching 

 operations of the Fish Hmclc on the Atlantic coast, so that only 21 days 

 could be devoted to the examination of the oyster-grounds, which time 

 was somewhat further reduced by stormy weather. 



It being apparent that only a limited area could be surveyed in the 

 time available, the oyster-beds of St. Bernard Parish were selected as 

 presenting the most satisfactory features for examination. This parish 

 comprises the extreme eastern part of Louisiana and contains some of 

 the most important oyster-beds of the State. Owing to the shallowness 

 of the water over the greater part of the region it was impossible to 

 make use of the steamer for the active work of the survey, and this 

 duty was therefore performed entirely by the two launches, the ship 

 being used as a base. The limited time at the disposal of the party 

 made it impossible to erect signals and make a regular survey, such as 

 was originally contemplated, but by engaging pilots and running lines 

 of soundings from point to point it was possible to make a reconnais- 

 sance showing the main hydrographic features and the general location 

 and extent of the oyster-beds. The work was carried on over an area 

 of about 200 square miles, and as it was sometimes necessary to run 



CXXIII 



