230 Our Food Mollusks 



the ocean for a distance of sixty miles. Still farther to 

 the south, and connected with Albemarle, lie the more 

 extensive waters of Pamlico Sound. Continuing down 

 the coast, one finds the much narrower Core and Bogue 

 sounds. 



The map shows that the ocean barrier effectually shuts 

 off the two northern sounds from the sea. Opening into 

 Pamlico Sound, however, are two large, and several 

 smaller inlets, and through them so much salt water en- 

 ters, that characteristic marine shore animals and plants 

 are found growing in abundance on its bottom. Be- 

 tween Core and Bogue sounds, also, is a large inlet, and 

 the waters of these are salt. 



One other physical feature of the region, shown on the 

 map, is of great importance in a study of its biological 

 conditions. It is that several large and many small 

 rivers enter the sounds on their western shores. As one 

 might surmise from an examination of the map alone, 

 Currituck and Albemarle sounds are nearly fresh, and 

 oysters and clams are not able to live in them. 



But oysters do not breed readily — indeed, are not able 

 naturally to maintain themselves — in water having the 

 salinity of the open sea. Successful growth demands 

 within somewhat narrow limits, a mixture of sea and 

 fresh waters, and it is because these natural requirements 

 are very nearly met in Pamlico Sound and near the 

 Bogue Sound inlet, that they become profitable fields of 

 study to one interested in the future development of the 

 oyster industry. 



The coast of South Carolina is quite different from 

 that which has just been noticed, in that most of it is un- 

 broken. At the city of Charleston and just above the 

 Georgia line, however, there are bays with many rami- 



