THE OYSTER AND THE OYSTER INDUSTRY. 37 



The only practical method of destroying the starfish so far devised 

 is by the use of the "star mop" (PI. VII, tig. 1). This usually 

 consists of an iron bar about 10 feet long, to which are attached 8 or 

 10 large mops or biTishes of heavy rope-yam about 4 feet long. The 

 bar moves on small wooden iron-tirecl wlieels as it is dragged over the 

 bottom by a chain attached by three drag bars arnmged as shown 

 in the figure. The chain passes tlii'ough a puUey attached to a stout 

 post amidships, and the niop is raised and lowered in the same way 

 as a dredge. The starfish cling to or become entangled in the mops 

 and are brought to the surface when the apparatus is lifted. Two 

 mops are usually used, one on each side of the boat. A long narrow 

 vat is generally placed inside the gimwale on each side of the boat. 

 These vats are kept filled with water which is heated by steam from 

 the boiler circidated through pipes in the vats. Ea6h mop with its 

 burden of "stars" is drojijied into the hot water. This is the most 

 raj^d and efficient method of killing the starfish and removing them 

 from the mops. Sometimes only one vat is used, placed across the 

 deck before the cabin, and each mop is sAMin^ 

 around and lowered into it by means of a small 

 crane. 



In Plate VII, figure 2, is sho'WTi a special form 

 of star mop, the "dishpan," devised lor use on a 

 rocky bottom. Tlie toboggan-sliaped body con- 

 sists of two pieces of boiler iron, the larger one 4^ 

 by 2 feet and attached to the triangular smaller 

 one by four rings })olted on as seen in the figure. 

 This allows some independence of movement of 

 the two parts. Tlie mops are the same as used Fio.z.-ur(mipinxdnereus, 

 with the other form of apparatus. This mop theoystor driiiof ti.e At- 



I- I .1 1 ' i ,., ,1 ,,' lantic coast. Naturalsize. 



slides over tlie rocks more rea<hly than the (After Moore.) 

 wheclcf) bar, the brushes falling do^^^l between 

 the rocks and catching the stars. This stylo of mo]i, however, is 

 heavy and awkward to handle and is not extensively used. 



"Starring" must be kent uj) whenever any considerable number of 

 the enemy ai)j)ears and sliould be of a cooperative nature. It is of 

 littl(4 avail for a planter to attempt to keej) his beds free from stai'lish, 

 unless liis neighbor does likewise. 



There are at least four species of snail-like moUuscs knoAVTi to 

 oystermen as drills or screw borers. One of these, Uromlpinx 

 cincrrns (text fig. 3), attaining a length of about an inch, is found 

 abundantly from Massachusetts to the cast coast of Florida. The 

 eggs are laid in smaU, yellowish, vase-shaped, leathery capsules,*^ 

 denosited in clusters on objects in the water. Another species is 

 T/Kiis hmUus, about the size of the preceding. It is found from the 

 cast end of Long Island northward. Other species of drills (often 

 called borers, snails, whelks, or conchs) are Thais Jixma .stoma (PI. 

 VIII, top) and Thais hifma stoma fiondana. Tliese sometimes reach 

 a lengtli of 3 inches. They arc" found on the Gulf coast, where 

 they are often very destructive to oyster beds. The eggs are laid 

 in tubular capsules about a half inch long, attached by the ends to 



o Moore, H. F. Proposed revision of "Oysters and Methods ol Oyster Culture" (1897). 



