﻿262 
  

  

  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  attached, 
  and 
  even 
  now 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  continuous 
  fring-e 
  of 
  

   oysters 
  skirting 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  rivers 
  and 
  marshes. 
  Young 
  ones 
  

   are 
  also 
  found 
  adhering 
  to 
  shells 
  and 
  other 
  solid 
  objects 
  which 
  have 
  

   been 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  firml>' 
  stranded 
  on 
  the 
  shoals 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  rivers. 
  

   Permanent 
  objects, 
  however, 
  do 
  not 
  usually 
  exist 
  on 
  the 
  shoals; 
  a 
  

   conch 
  shell, 
  for 
  instance, 
  ma}^ 
  lie 
  undisturbed 
  for 
  weeks 
  and 
  become 
  

   covered 
  with 
  spat, 
  but 
  sooner 
  or 
  later 
  currents 
  of 
  unusual 
  strength 
  

   are 
  developed 
  by 
  winds, 
  and 
  the 
  shell 
  with 
  its 
  little 
  colon}' 
  is 
  swept 
  

   away 
  or 
  covered 
  up. 
  

  

  Starting 
  with 
  the 
  fring-e 
  of 
  03'sters 
  referred 
  to, 
  however, 
  or 
  with 
  

   small 
  colonies 
  attached 
  to 
  such 
  objects 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  stranded 
  on 
  the 
  

   shoals, 
  I 
  will 
  endeavor 
  to 
  show, 
  how 
  the 
  reefs 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  produced 
  

  

  

  •Ti* 
  e* 
  6^ 
  t^fe 
  « 
  s^eS 
  

  

  

  Scheme 
  illustrating 
  the 
  conditions 
  near 
  an 
  oyster 
  reef 
  and 
  the 
  steps 
  by 
  which 
  a 
  reef 
  may 
  be 
  formed. 
  

   Dots 
  represent 
  oysters. 
  Arrows 
  represent 
  water 
  currents. 
  Irregular 
  line 
  represents 
  shore 
  line. 
  

   Groups 
  of 
  short 
  lines 
  represent 
  marsh 
  grass. 
  

  

  through 
  the 
  action 
  and 
  reaction 
  of 
  the 
  conditions 
  described. 
  Because 
  

   of 
  their 
  nearness 
  to 
  11 
  owing 
  water, 
  the 
  oysters 
  living 
  on 
  the 
  points 
  on 
  

   the 
  shore 
  where 
  the 
  river 
  bends, 
  or 
  on 
  points 
  which 
  project 
  into 
  the 
  

   stream, 
  are 
  kept 
  clearer 
  of 
  sediment 
  and 
  are 
  supplied 
  with 
  a 
  greater 
  

   amount 
  of 
  food 
  than 
  their 
  less 
  fortunate 
  fellows 
  attached 
  to 
  objects 
  in 
  

   more 
  sheltered 
  places. 
  To 
  be 
  brief, 
  the 
  conditions 
  surrounding 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  living 
  in 
  such 
  exposed 
  places 
  are 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  those 
  previously 
  

   described 
  for 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  a 
  reef. 
  Figures 
  2, 
  3, 
  -t, 
  and 
  5 
  illustrate 
  

   the 
  effect 
  of 
  these 
  conditions 
  in 
  producing 
  at 
  first 
  a 
  collection 
  of 
  clusters 
  

   on 
  the 
  projecting 
  points, 
  then 
  an 
  extension 
  of 
  the 
  clusters, 
  forming 
  a 
  

   bar 
  of 
  oysters 
  toward 
  the 
  current 
  channel. 
  As 
  this 
  bar 
  increases 
  in 
  

   length 
  it 
  causes 
  a 
  gradual 
  slackening 
  of 
  the 
  inshore 
  currents, 
  with 
  

  

  