The North Carolina Field 



239 



these useless coon oysters be converted into marketable 

 forms ? 



As a result of observations recently made in North 

 Carolina waters by members of the staff of investigators 

 of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, it may be answered 

 that the larger coon oysters are not able to make much 

 improvement in form. But it has been shown that in- 



Fig. 50. — Upper row, young oysters beginning to elongate from 

 pressure in thick clusters. Lower row shows rapid improve- 

 ment in form after liberation from cluster. Outlines from 

 photographs by O. C. Glaser, U. S. F. C. Report. 



dividuals less than two inches in length, even though 

 they may have begun to elongate, do respond, on being 

 freed from clusters, by assuming the desired normal out- 

 line and size. This is a fact of some importance, for it 

 proves that seed oysters, in case of a poor set upon col- 

 lectors, may safely be taken from these abundant 

 clusters. 



The results of such an experiment are represented in 

 Figure 50. The individuals of the upper row were 

 taken from clusters, and had begun to elongate. The 

 actual length of the larger ones was about one and three- 

 fourths inches. The lower group represents the same 



