﻿260 
  EEPOET 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  badly 
  shaped 
  o3^sters 
  known 
  as 
  "coons." 
  The 
  long- 
  axes 
  of 
  the 
  reefs 
  

   are 
  usually 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  to 
  the 
  shore 
  line, 
  but 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  condi- 
  

   tions 
  under 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  produced 
  shows 
  that 
  their 
  position 
  

   depends 
  upon 
  the 
  direction 
  not 
  of 
  the 
  shore 
  line 
  but 
  of 
  the 
  currents 
  

   which 
  flowed 
  past 
  them 
  during 
  their 
  growth, 
  the 
  formation 
  always 
  

   making 
  right 
  angles 
  with 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  flow. 
  The 
  reefs 
  are 
  consid- 
  

   erabl}^ 
  higher 
  than 
  the 
  surrounding 
  areas, 
  and 
  at 
  low 
  tide 
  for 
  a 
  longer 
  

   or 
  shorter 
  period 
  of 
  each 
  day 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  water. 
  

   When 
  thus 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  air 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  not 
  only 
  unable 
  to 
  feed, 
  

   but 
  are 
  often 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  extremes 
  of 
  summer 
  and 
  winter 
  temper- 
  

   atures. 
  The 
  poor 
  qualit}^ 
  of 
  those 
  growing 
  on 
  the 
  reefs 
  may 
  be 
  due 
  

   in 
  part 
  to 
  these 
  adverse 
  conditions; 
  their 
  ill 
  shape, 
  however, 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  

   crowding 
  that 
  takes 
  place 
  among 
  individuals, 
  for 
  although 
  not 
  favor- 
  

   able 
  to 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  adult 
  oysters, 
  the 
  conditions 
  on 
  the 
  reefs 
  are 
  

   most 
  favorable 
  for 
  the 
  attachment 
  and 
  growth 
  of 
  spat. 
  

  

  From 
  a 
  commercial 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  the 
  o3^sters 
  produced 
  on 
  the 
  reefs 
  

   are 
  considered 
  almost 
  useless, 
  although 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  sometimes 
  

   used 
  by 
  the 
  canneries 
  in 
  putting 
  up 
  their 
  poorest 
  stock. 
  The 
  chief 
  

   value 
  of 
  reef 
  oysters 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  spawn 
  they 
  fur- 
  

   nish 
  to 
  the 
  oyster 
  beds 
  located 
  in 
  deeper 
  water. 
  No 
  matter 
  how 
  much 
  

   the 
  latter 
  beds 
  may 
  be 
  depleted 
  of 
  spawners, 
  the}^ 
  are 
  quickly 
  restocked 
  

   from 
  the 
  spawn 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  reefs. 
  

  

  A 
  living 
  reef, 
  when 
  closely 
  examined, 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  ])C 
  made 
  up 
  of 
  

   clusters 
  of 
  oj^sters, 
  each 
  rooted 
  in 
  a 
  substratum 
  of 
  soft 
  organic 
  mud 
  

   mixed 
  with 
  shells 
  and 
  shell 
  fragments. 
  Between 
  the 
  clusters 
  numbers 
  

   of 
  mussels, 
  crabs, 
  and 
  worms 
  are 
  also 
  usually 
  present. 
  The 
  individual 
  

   oysters 
  of 
  a 
  cluster 
  are 
  long 
  and 
  narrow, 
  and 
  from 
  their 
  fancied 
  

   resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  paw 
  of 
  a 
  raccooii, 
  it 
  is 
  supposed, 
  are 
  known 
  as 
  

   "coons." 
  

  

  A 
  cluster 
  is 
  a 
  peculiar 
  colon}', 
  representing 
  from 
  three 
  to 
  seven 
  

   generations 
  of 
  oysters, 
  all 
  but 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  of 
  them 
  dead. 
  Each 
  gen- 
  

   eration 
  becomes 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  the 
  preceding, 
  and 
  thus 
  the 
  

   cluster 
  grows 
  wider 
  and 
  higher 
  in 
  a 
  wa}^ 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  described 
  by 
  

   comparing 
  it 
  to 
  a 
  genealogical 
  tree. 
  The 
  oldest 
  or 
  lowest 
  oysters, 
  

   dying 
  either 
  from 
  being 
  crowded 
  by 
  the 
  oysters 
  above 
  or 
  smothered 
  

   by 
  the 
  sediment 
  below, 
  leave 
  their 
  empty 
  shells 
  as 
  anchors 
  or 
  supports 
  

   to 
  the 
  colony. 
  Sediment 
  is 
  constantly 
  deposited 
  between 
  the 
  clusters, 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  thus 
  keeping 
  pace 
  with 
  the 
  upward 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  03'sters. 
  

   The 
  individuals 
  of 
  a 
  cluster 
  assume 
  a 
  vertical 
  position, 
  with 
  mouth 
  

   uppermost, 
  and, 
  crowded 
  on 
  all 
  sides 
  by 
  their 
  neighbors, 
  they 
  can 
  grow 
  

   only 
  in 
  the 
  remaining 
  direction 
  — 
  from 
  their 
  free 
  ends. 
  

  

  On 
  examining 
  the 
  immediate 
  vicinitj^ 
  of 
  a 
  reef 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  covered 
  

   with 
  water 
  a 
  strong 
  current 
  is 
  found 
  at 
  the 
  outer 
  end, 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  

   the 
  flow 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  to 
  the 
  long 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  reef. 
  A 
  short 
  distance 
  

   either 
  above 
  or 
  below 
  the 
  reef 
  arc 
  more 
  sluggish 
  currents, 
  either 
  par- 
  

  

  