XXIII.-REPORT OF EXPERIMENTS IN THE ARTIFICIAL PRO 

 AGATION OF OYSTERS, CONDUCTED AT BEAUFORT, N. ( 

 AND FAIR HAVEN, CONN., IN 1882. 



By Lieut. Francis Winslow, U. S. N. 



The chronicle of the different successful efforts to artificially impre 

 nate the egg of the oyster is short. In 1879, Dr. W. K. Brooks sn 

 ceeded with the American species [O.strea Virghiiana). In 1880, folio 

 ing his methods, I succeeded with the Portuguese {Ostrea angiUata), o 

 of the European species. During the same season Mr. J. A. Ryd 

 made another attempt, likewise following Brooks's methods, with o 

 domestic oyster, and I have no doubt, though I have seen no publish 

 accounts of other experiments, that since the initial trial in 1879 I 

 Brooks has had many followers both in this country and abroad. 



The history of these several eflbrts to raise the oyster from the e: 

 by means of the artificial impregnation of the ova has been before t 

 public for some time. Dr. Brooks' experiments are detailed in t 

 Report of the Maryland Fish Commission for 1880, and in the Studi 

 of the Johns Hopkins Seaside Laboratory for the same year. Mr. E 

 der's experiences and my own are published in the Report of the Mai 

 laud Fish Commission for 1881. All these are so well known that it 

 unnecessary to here recapitulate even their principal features; but o 

 point is worthy of notice. Each experiment has attaiued about t 

 saaie degree of success, or perhaps it would be better to say has fail 

 at nearly the same point. The egg has been impregnated and t 

 embryo maintained alive for various periods; but beyond a certi 

 stage, neither Dr. Brooks, Mr. Ryder, nor myself have yet succeed 

 in keeping them. 



The success of the initial experiment was so great, and the advar 

 in oyster culture appeared of so much importance, that investigato 

 myself among the number, were perhaps too sanguine ; possibilities j 

 pe'ared probabilities. We expected that as soon as a few changes w« 

 made in the apparatus, and methods somewhat more nearly perf 

 were introduced, we would be able to produce young oysters with 1 

 same facility as young shad, and with a greater surety with the foru 

 of reaping the rtiward of our labors, than was possible in the case of I 

 latter. But after my experience of the past spring and summer I ; 

 convinced that it will require a series of pains-taking experiments, 

 tending over considerable time and conducted under many dissimi 

 ii] 741 



