60 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



eral features as the main stream, but lias a depth of from 1 to 3 feet. 

 ItcoDtaius oysters of fair quality, both single and in clusters of from 3 

 to 10, some of them being very large. 



In Turkey Bay, the large lagoon discharging through Turkey Bayou, 

 the depth of water varies from 13 to G feet, the bottom being generally 

 soft and muddy and the density about 1.0076. There are three areas 

 of scattered oysters, one lying in the channel between the eastern shore 

 and a small island, another being about a quarter of a mile from the 

 entrance to Turkey Bayou, and the third beginning opposite the chan- 

 nel opening to the westward and extending southward for about three- 

 eighths of a mile. The latter bed is the largest of the three, and near 

 the mouth of the creek there are some oysters, of good size and quality. 

 This creek also contains a scattered growth of oysters, which becomes 

 dense in the branch running to the northward, where the oysters are 

 large and fine. 



Or and Pass, Bayou Grecque, and Shrimp Bay. — Grand Pass (Oyster 

 Bay) has an area of about 1.8 square miles. It opens on the north 

 into Mississippi Sound and on the southeast toward Chandeleur Sound. 

 The depth is generally between 2J and 5 feet, but deeper water occurs 

 on the west side of the small island in the northern part of the bay, 

 where soundings of from 12 to 16 feet were found. Excepting in the 

 vicinity of the oyster-reefs and in places along the shore, the bottom is 

 composed of deep soft mud. The density during the first week in 

 February averaged about 1.0100 and the temperature was about 10.5° 

 0. (50.9° F.). 



There are eight oyster-reefs in the eastern part of this bay, several of 

 them being partially exposed at low water. A scattering growth of 

 marketable oysters also occurs in the shoal water along the eastern 

 shore, and on the middle third of the western shore we found a corre- 

 sponding development of young growth. In the latter locality every 

 shell or other hard body in the water has young oysters attached to it 

 in clusters, and there is no doubt but that by exposing suitable cultch 

 around the edge of the marshes, as is done at Bayou Oook and Whale 

 Bay, important and productive spatting-grounds could be established 

 and a supply of seed thereby secured which would be independent of 

 the natural beds. It is stated that considerable quantities of oysters 

 were to be found formerly in the center of the bay, but that they had 

 been exterminated by the dredges which operated there. At present 

 there are practically no oysters and very few shells to be found away 

 from the sliores aiul reefs, but there is, of course, no indication of the 

 means by which they were caught n\) if they ever existed in other i)arts. 



Oystering here appears to be confined to the vicinity of the exposed 

 reefs and the shoal water along the eastern shore. The oysters at the 

 time of our examination were rather poor in shape, of moderate size, 

 and inferior in fiavor and fatness. They are usually found in small 

 clusters. The conch is the most troultlesome enemy with which the 

 oys^ters have to contend in this vicinity. It is rather more common 



