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  REPOET 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  NOVEMBER 
  5. 
  1902. 
  

  

  The 
  oyster.s 
  in 
  lot 
  A 
  were 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  age 
  as 
  those 
  used 
  in 
  exp(?ri- 
  

   inent 
  II, 
  and 
  a 
  comparison 
  of 
  the 
  mea.surements 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  groups 
  

   fully 
  corroborates 
  the 
  earlier 
  results. 
  The 
  final 
  measurements 
  of 
  lot 
  

   A 
  were 
  made 
  two 
  months 
  after 
  the 
  03^sters 
  had 
  been 
  liberated, 
  and 
  

   show 
  more 
  strikingly 
  than 
  the 
  former 
  experiment 
  that 
  elongated 
  

   oysters 
  are 
  capable 
  of 
  approaching 
  a 
  normal 
  shape 
  with 
  surprising- 
  

   rapidity. 
  Two 
  photographs 
  were 
  taken 
  of 
  this 
  particular 
  lot 
  (plate 
  x), 
  

   and 
  these 
  illustrate 
  as 
  forcibly 
  as 
  the 
  figures 
  the 
  great 
  change 
  that 
  

   took 
  place. 
  

  

  A 
  comparison 
  of 
  the 
  initial 
  and 
  final 
  measurements 
  of 
  lots 
  A, 
  B, 
  

   and 
  G 
  also 
  shows 
  that 
  the 
  recuperative 
  power 
  varies 
  with 
  age. 
  On 
  

   September 
  5 
  the 
  ratio 
  of 
  width 
  to 
  length 
  was 
  50 
  per 
  cent 
  in 
  lot 
  A, 
  

   44 
  per 
  cent 
  in 
  lot 
  B, 
  and 
  41 
  per 
  cent 
  in 
  lot 
  C, 
  whereas 
  on 
  November 
  5 
  

   the 
  same 
  lots 
  presented 
  respectiveh' 
  a 
  percentage 
  of 
  width 
  to 
  length 
  

   of 
  68, 
  64, 
  and 
  47 
  per 
  cent. 
  Thus 
  in 
  all 
  an 
  improvement 
  in 
  the 
  relation 
  

   between 
  width 
  and 
  length 
  took 
  place, 
  lot 
  A 
  increasing 
  18 
  per 
  cent, 
  

   lot 
  B 
  10 
  per 
  cent, 
  and 
  lot 
  C 
  6 
  per 
  cent. 
  This 
  gradation 
  is 
  just 
  what 
  

   would 
  be 
  expected 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  oysters 
  approaching 
  old 
  age 
  

   normally 
  grow 
  longer 
  than 
  they 
  do 
  wide. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  oysters 
  used 
  in 
  this 
  experiment 
  lots 
  A 
  and 
  C, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  

  

  