14 



NATURAL OYSTER BEDS OF DELAWARE. 



small areas of scattering growth at the northwest and southeast ends, 

 respectively. There is a third area of scattering growth near the 

 western end of the bed. The very scattering growth forms a zone 

 around the western and part of the southern side of the more prolific 

 bottom, lying on a substratum of compacted shells. Most of the 

 western half of the bed is composed of depleted bottom, which also 

 extends as a narrow strip around practically the entire circumfer- 

 ence of the rest of the bed, the bottom being generally hard and 

 shelly with occasional patches of mud. 



In general the present condition of the bed indicates a former 

 greater extent of productive bottom. There is every indication that 

 it has been closely dredged during the past season, and the present 

 content of oysters is probably but a small proportion of the quantity 

 on the bottom at the beginning of the season. The shells are in 

 excellent condition to receive a set of spat, and under favorable cir- 

 cumstances the bed should speedily recuperate. There were com- 

 paratively few dead oysters, and drills or borers do not appear to be 

 troublesome. 



The following observations were made: 



Details of Examinations of Silver Bed. 



LUMPS BETWEEN SILVER AND RIDGE BEDS. 



Lying between Sand and Silver beds on the north and Ridge and 

 Drum beds on the south are a number of small lumps and patches 

 surrounded by a considerable area of barren bottom. Eight of these 

 areas were located by the survey, most of them covering areas of 3 

 or 4 acres, and there are probably a number of others, as on account of 

 their small size and irregular distribution but little time was spent in 



