﻿32 
  G 
  KEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  ccssive 
  laj^ers 
  of 
  horny 
  material 
  are 
  laid 
  down, 
  these 
  becoming 
  impreg- 
  

   nated 
  with 
  calcareous 
  matter 
  arranged 
  in 
  a 
  prismatic 
  manner, 
  and 
  thus 
  

   forming 
  the 
  stony 
  shell 
  which 
  characterizes 
  the 
  adult. 
  

  

  The 
  mantle 
  increases 
  pari 
  passit 
  with 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  soft 
  parts 
  \i\ 
  

   general, 
  and 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  always 
  capable 
  of 
  protrusion 
  a 
  little 
  beyond 
  the 
  lips 
  

   of 
  the 
  valves, 
  it 
  follows 
  that 
  each 
  successive 
  laj'er 
  of 
  shell 
  is 
  slightl}- 
  

   larger 
  than 
  that 
  which 
  preceded 
  it, 
  and 
  the 
  shell 
  increases 
  in 
  length 
  

   and 
  breadth 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  thickness. 
  From 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  its 
  growth, 
  

   therefore, 
  the 
  youngest 
  or 
  newest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  shell 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  inner 
  face 
  

   and 
  at 
  the 
  edges, 
  the 
  latter 
  always 
  being 
  sharp 
  and 
  thin 
  in 
  a 
  growing 
  

   03%ster. 
  The 
  shell 
  of 
  the 
  3"oung 
  oyster 
  is 
  always 
  thin 
  and 
  delicate, 
  and 
  

   is 
  generally 
  more 
  rounded 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  adult. 
  The 
  lower 
  valve 
  at 
  first 
  

   adheres 
  closely 
  to 
  the 
  body 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  attached, 
  but 
  later 
  its 
  edge 
  

   grows 
  free 
  and 
  the 
  valve, 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  becomes 
  deeper 
  and 
  more 
  capa- 
  

   cious 
  than 
  its 
  fellow. 
  The 
  small 
  larval 
  or 
  f 
  r}' 
  shell 
  remains 
  visible 
  at 
  

   the 
  beak 
  of 
  the 
  spat 
  shell 
  for 
  a 
  considerable 
  time, 
  but 
  becomes 
  eroded 
  

   away 
  before 
  the 
  oyster 
  reaches 
  the 
  adult 
  condition. 
  

  

  The 
  soft 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  assume 
  their 
  adult 
  form 
  in 
  general 
  soon 
  

   after 
  attachment, 
  although 
  the 
  genital 
  glands 
  do 
  not 
  become 
  functional 
  

   until 
  a 
  much 
  later 
  period. 
  

  

  The 
  rate 
  of 
  growth 
  varies 
  with 
  locality 
  and 
  conditions. 
  It 
  is 
  more 
  

   rapid 
  when 
  food 
  is 
  abundant 
  and 
  at 
  seasons 
  when 
  the 
  oj-^ster 
  is 
  feeding- 
  

   most 
  vigorously, 
  these 
  conditions 
  being 
  filled 
  most 
  thoroughly 
  in 
  

   summer 
  and 
  fall, 
  when 
  the 
  warm 
  water 
  increases 
  the 
  vital 
  activities 
  

   of 
  both 
  oyster 
  and 
  food. 
  

  

  In 
  South 
  Carolina 
  oysters 
  not 
  more 
  tlian 
  six 
  or 
  seven 
  months 
  old 
  were 
  

   found 
  to 
  have 
  reached 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  2i 
  inches, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  warm 
  sounds 
  

   of 
  North 
  Carolina 
  they 
  reach 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  li 
  inches 
  in 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  

   three 
  months. 
  In 
  the 
  coves 
  and 
  creeks 
  of 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  they 
  attain 
  

   about 
  the 
  same 
  size 
  by 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  season's 
  active 
  growth, 
  and 
  

   by 
  the 
  time 
  they 
  are 
  2 
  years 
  old 
  they 
  measure 
  from 
  2i 
  to 
  of 
  inches 
  

   long 
  and 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  8 
  inches 
  wide. 
  On 
  tlie 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  

   the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  planted 
  oj^sters 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  rapid 
  than 
  in 
  Con- 
  

   necticut, 
  it 
  being 
  "stated 
  that 
  "two-year 
  plants" 
  set 
  out 
  in 
  spring 
  are 
  

   ready 
  for 
  use 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  fall, 
  while 
  upon 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  shore 
  

   it 
  would 
  require 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  j^ears 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  same 
  growth. 
  On 
  

   the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  oysters 
  If 
  inches 
  long 
  in 
  May 
  have 
  

   increased 
  to 
  3 
  inches 
  by 
  November 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  year. 
  

  

  The 
  amount 
  of 
  lime 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  a 
  factor 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  

   character 
  of 
  the 
  shell, 
  and 
  oysters 
  growing 
  in 
  waters 
  deficient 
  in 
  that 
  

   respect 
  have 
  thinner 
  shells 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  well 
  supplied, 
  and 
  

   are 
  therefore 
  more 
  susceptible 
  to 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  the 
  drill. 
  

  

  The 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  oj^ster 
  to 
  a 
  certain 
  extent 
  determines 
  its 
  value 
  in 
  

   the 
  market. 
  Single 
  03^sters 
  of 
  regular 
  shape 
  with 
  deep 
  shells 
  and 
  

   plump 
  bodies 
  will 
  bring 
  a 
  better 
  price 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  irregular 
  

  

  