﻿272 
  

  

  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Average 
  densities 
  over 
  oyster 
  bed 
  in 
  Neicport 
  River, 
  planted 
  by 
  E. 
  L. 
  Gemdy 
  — 
  Continued. 
  

  

  :MAY 
  1 
  TO 
  AUGUST 
  31, 
  1900. 
  

  

  The 
  conditions 
  existing 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  when 
  the 
  data 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  table 
  

   were 
  collected, 
  were 
  probably 
  as 
  favorable 
  for 
  oyster 
  culture 
  as 
  are 
  

   ever 
  found 
  in 
  Newport 
  River, 
  and, 
  as 
  before 
  stated, 
  the 
  planted 
  oysters 
  

   were 
  in 
  excellent 
  condition, 
  but 
  even 
  then 
  the 
  density 
  over 
  the 
  lower 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  (stations 
  1 
  and 
  2) 
  was 
  too 
  high 
  for 
  the 
  best 
  results. 
  

   The 
  gradual 
  increase 
  in 
  densit\^ 
  over 
  the 
  planted 
  area 
  during 
  the 
  fol- 
  

   lowing 
  summer 
  was 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  excessive 
  diyniess 
  of 
  the 
  season, 
  the 
  

   fresh-water 
  supply 
  which 
  usually 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  low 
  countiy 
  about 
  

   the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  being 
  stopped 
  altogether. 
  

  

  The 
  food 
  of 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  planted 
  beds 
  consists 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species 
  

   of 
  microscopic 
  plants 
  that 
  constitute 
  the 
  food 
  on 
  the 
  natural 
  beds, 
  but 
  

   numerous 
  examinations 
  during 
  the 
  summers 
  of 
  1900, 
  1901, 
  and 
  1902 
  

   show 
  that 
  the 
  supply 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  abundant 
  over 
  the 
  planted 
  beds 
  as 
  it 
  

   is 
  farther 
  up 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  not 
  of 
  exactly 
  the 
  same 
  quality. 
  The 
  

   following 
  table, 
  made 
  from 
  records 
  of 
  examinations 
  of 
  the 
  stomach 
  

   contents 
  of 
  medium-sized 
  oysters 
  from 
  Mr. 
  Gandy's 
  beds 
  and 
  of 
  water 
  

   collected 
  over 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  1900, 
  may 
  be 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  tables 
  on 
  

   page 
  289, 
  which 
  show 
  the 
  amount 
  and 
  (Quality 
  of 
  the 
  supply 
  over 
  the 
  

   natural 
  beds. 
  

  

  Food 
  found 
  in 
  stomachs 
  of 
  oysters 
  from 
  E. 
  L. 
  Gandy^s 
  beds 
  in 
  Xewjiort 
  River. 
  

  

  Eupodiseus 
  

   radiatus. 
  

  

  Jlelosira 
  

   sculpta. 
  

  

  PI 
  euro- 
  

   si 
  gmaspen- 
  

  

  Navicula 
  

   didyma. 
  

  

  One 
  oyster 
  

  

  Water 
  (lliter). 
  

  

  847 
  

   1,429 
  

  

  1,922 
  

   2, 
  272 
  

  

  6,990 
  

   9,365 
  

  

  10, 
  401 
  

   13,066 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  striking 
  difference 
  between 
  Mr. 
  Gandy's 
  beds 
  and 
  the 
  

   natural 
  tonging 
  grounds 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  animals 
  that 
  live 
  thereon. 
  

   The 
  variety 
  and 
  richness 
  of 
  the 
  fauna 
  on 
  the 
  planted 
  beds 
  is 
  remark- 
  

   able. 
  Every 
  tongful 
  of 
  oysters 
  and 
  shells 
  brought 
  up 
  is 
  conspicuous 
  

   with 
  bright 
  colored 
  sponges 
  and 
  leptogordias, 
  which, 
  together 
  with 
  

   many 
  other 
  animal 
  species, 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  oystermen 
  as 
  ''moss." 
  

   Four 
  species 
  of 
  sponge 
  are 
  found, 
  the 
  most 
  abundant 
  being 
  a 
  boring 
  

   sponge 
  {CHona), 
  two 
  leptogordias 
  (yellow 
  and 
  red), 
  three 
  species 
  of 
  

   ascidians, 
  two 
  bryozoans, 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  worms, 
  three 
  crabs, 
  and 
  

   two 
  drills, 
  also 
  oyster 
  iish 
  and 
  barnacles. 
  The 
  extreme 
  saltness 
  of 
  

  

  