LXXXIV REPORT OF C0MMIS>;I0XI:K OF FISII AND FISHERIES. 



0. The Oyster {Ostrea rh-fiinica). 



Saint Jerome iitatioti. — The "work of expeiimentiug with the artilicitil 

 incubation of the eggs of Ostrea virginica was carried on at the Saint Je- 

 rome Creek Station during the Kummerof ]882, under the direction of 

 Mr. Jolm A. Uydt-r. These researches have been discussed at some 

 lengtli in a ])aper by Mr. Ryder, entitk'd "An account of the experi- 

 ments in Oyster Culture, and observations relating thereto, second se- 

 ries" in tlie present report (pages 703-778), to which the reader is re- 

 ferred for further details. 



The following brief summary of the results obtained may, however, 

 not be out of place. All of the experiments were conducted with a view 

 to keeping the artilicially fertilized eggs of the oyster in receptacles of 

 moderate capacity and under cover, so as to be readily accessible, while 

 the water was either renewed on the embryo by hand or was aerated 

 and kept in continuous circulation through an endless chain of vessels. 

 Various forms of filters were tried without much success in the efforts 

 to reuew the water ou the minute and delicate embrjos, but these were 

 unsatisfactory', and finally gave place to a system of vessels in which 

 the same water was kept in continuous movement. On the 22d of July 

 a lot of embryos placed in such an apparatus were found to have be- 

 come attached to the sides of the vessels hj the next day. This is 

 apparently the first brood of artificially fertilized oyster embryos which 

 are reported to have attached themselves, though it was not found prac- 

 ticable to keep them alive beyond a period of about three days. 



It proved that it was not safe to alter the specific gravity of the water 

 which was normal to the eggs and spermatozoa by artificial means, as 

 such chanj^es seemed to kill both. Putrescent action was prevented by 

 using large volumes of water, into which a moderate proportion of eggs 

 was introduced. 



These developments, together with what had been learned during the 

 seasons of 1870, 1880, and 1881, lead up to the attempt to utilize artificial 

 fertilization with practical success in, 1883. 



In order to enable Mr. Ryder to investigate the alleged differences in 

 the anatomy of the American oyster and the several European species 

 and varieties. Mr. Blackford i)rovided a quite complete collection of the 

 latter, which furnished the basis of some important researches. Mr. 

 Blackford also furnished several barrels of small seed-oysters to Mr. 

 House, of Corinne, Utah, to be planted as an experiment in Great Salt 

 Lake. No rei)ort of the result has, however, been furnished. 



