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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  the 
  most 
  important 
  beiug 
  in 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay, 
  mainly 
  ni)on 
  the 
  natural 
  

   beds, 
  and 
  in 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound, 
  principally 
  upon 
  planted 
  grounds. 
  

   The 
  Canadian 
  oyster-beds 
  are 
  much 
  depleted, 
  and 
  an 
  effort 
  is 
  now 
  

   being 
  made 
  to 
  restore 
  them 
  to 
  a 
  productive 
  condition. 
  

  

  PACIFIC 
  COAST. 
  

  

  Upon 
  the 
  western 
  coast 
  of 
  North 
  America 
  there 
  are 
  five, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  

   six, 
  recognized 
  species 
  of 
  oysters, 
  but 
  only 
  two 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  of 
  present 
  

   importance. 
  

  

  The 
  eastern 
  oyster 
  was 
  planted 
  in 
  San 
  Francisco 
  Bay 
  about 
  1872 
  and 
  

   has 
  there 
  formed 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  a 
  somewhat 
  important 
  industry 
  ever 
  

   since. 
  The 
  supply 
  has 
  been 
  maintained 
  by 
  the 
  annual 
  planting 
  of 
  seed 
  

   oysters 
  from 
  the 
  east, 
  and 
  while 
  the 
  species 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  propagating 
  

   itself 
  to 
  a 
  limited 
  extent, 
  no 
  reliance 
  has 
  been 
  placed 
  upon 
  this 
  fact 
  

   for 
  the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  the 
  beds. 
  The 
  United 
  States 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  

   has 
  recently 
  planted 
  oysters 
  in 
  Willapa 
  Bay, 
  Washington; 
  Yaquina 
  

   Bay, 
  Oregon, 
  and 
  Humboldt 
  Bay, 
  California, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  still 
  too 
  early 
  to 
  

   say 
  with 
  what 
  success. 
  

  

  The 
  native 
  oyster 
  {Ostrea 
  lurida) 
  of 
  California, 
  Oregon, 
  and 
  Washing- 
  

   ton 
  is 
  found 
  at 
  various 
  places 
  on 
  the 
  coasts 
  of 
  the 
  States 
  mentioned, 
  

   but 
  attains 
  its 
  greatest 
  size 
  and 
  ])erfection 
  in 
  Willapa 
  Bay. 
  It 
  is 
  much 
  

   inferior 
  to 
  the 
  eastern 
  oyster 
  in 
  size, 
  but 
  its 
  flavor 
  is 
  esteemed 
  by 
  many. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Gull 
  of 
  California 
  is 
  found 
  a 
  large 
  species, 
  Ostrea 
  iridescens, 
  

   which 
  resembles 
  the 
  eastern 
  species 
  and 
  is 
  an 
  object 
  of 
  some 
  trade 
  in 
  

   the 
  adjoining 
  portions 
  of 
  Mexico. 
  Attempts 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  intro- 
  

   duce 
  this 
  form 
  in 
  the 
  markets 
  of 
  San 
  Francisco, 
  but 
  the 
  mortality 
  en 
  

   route 
  has 
  been 
  large 
  and 
  the 
  venture 
  unprofitable. 
  

  

  Two 
  smaller 
  oysters, 
  Ostrea 
  palmnea 
  and 
  Ostrea 
  palumea 
  glomerata, 
  

   are 
  also 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  California. 
  

  

  DESCRIPTION. 
  

   EASTERN 
  OYSTER, 
  OSTREA 
  VIRGINIANA. 
  

  

  The 
  shell 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  generally 
  elongate, 
  but 
  varies 
  much 
  with 
  

   age 
  and 
  the 
  conditions 
  under 
  which 
  it 
  grows. 
  In 
  the 
  younger 
  stages 
  it 
  

   is 
  often 
  nearly 
  round, 
  with 
  ear-like 
  projections 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   hinge 
  and 
  stout 
  radiating 
  ridges 
  near 
  the 
  margin, 
  thus 
  bearing 
  some 
  

   resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  European 
  oyster. 
  In 
  shells 
  which 
  are 
  actively 
  

   growing 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  broad 
  fringe 
  of 
  yellow 
  cuticle 
  around 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  

   valves, 
  which, 
  however, 
  soon 
  becomes 
  thickened 
  by 
  a 
  deposit 
  of 
  lime. 
  

  

  The 
  shell 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  great 
  variation 
  in 
  thickness, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  rarely 
  

   so 
  thin 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast 
  oyster. 
  The 
  exterior 
  is 
  marked 
  by 
  

   laminations 
  and 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  concentric 
  lines 
  of 
  growth; 
  it 
  is 
  often 
  

   covered 
  by 
  a 
  yellowish 
  cuticle, 
  but 
  is 
  sometimes 
  white 
  and 
  flinty 
  in 
  

   appearance. 
  The 
  inside 
  of 
  the 
  shell 
  is 
  generally 
  white, 
  somewhat 
  

   tinged 
  with 
  purple 
  near 
  the 
  margins, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  pearly 
  

   luster. 
  The 
  muscular 
  impression 
  is 
  generally 
  nearer 
  to 
  the 
  posterior 
  

  

  