﻿24 
  

  

  OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

   Oyster 
  Growth 
  on 
  Point 
  Comfort 
  Beds. 
  

  

  a 
  An 
  adjacent 
  lump. 
  

   Details 
  of 
  Examination 
  op 
  Point 
  Comfort 
  Beds. 
  

  

  LAP 
  REEF. 
  

  

  Lap 
  and 
  Chicken 
  Reefs 
  together 
  stretch 
  almost 
  entirely 
  across 
  the 
  

   constricted 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  bay, 
  off 
  Nobles 
  Point, 
  and 
  form 
  

   practically 
  a 
  lino 
  of 
  demarcation 
  in 
  the 
  character 
  and 
  quahty 
  of 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  and 
  upper 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  bay. 
  The 
  two 
  reefs 
  are 
  

   separated 
  by 
  a 
  narrow 
  channel 
  from 
  7 
  to 
  9 
  feet 
  deep, 
  bearing 
  the 
  local 
  

   name 
  of 
  "Hole 
  in 
  the 
  Wall." 
  

  

  Lap 
  Reef 
  begins 
  200 
  yards 
  off 
  Nobles 
  Point 
  and 
  reaches 
  to 
  the 
  north- 
  

   ward 
  for 
  a 
  mile 
  and 
  a 
  quarter. 
  It 
  reaches 
  its 
  maximum 
  width 
  of 
  about 
  

   •800 
  yards 
  at 
  the 
  northern 
  extremity 
  and 
  gradually 
  tapers 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  

   at 
  the 
  southern 
  end. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  eastern 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  reef 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  ranges 
  from 
  H 
  

   to 
  4 
  feet, 
  several 
  feet 
  less 
  than 
  the 
  adjacent 
  barren 
  bottom. 
  The 
  

   depth 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  and 
  western 
  parts 
  ranges 
  from 
  oh 
  to 
  6 
  feet, 
  

   being 
  about 
  equal 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  surrounding 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  bay. 
  The 
  

   oysters 
  occur 
  as 
  singles 
  and 
  in 
  small 
  clustei-s 
  and 
  generally 
  are 
  of 
  

   excellent 
  flavor; 
  some 
  were 
  used 
  as 
  shell 
  stock 
  in 
  1912. 
  This 
  reef 
  has 
  

   been 
  fished 
  for 
  the 
  last 
  seven 
  or 
  eight 
  years, 
  and 
  will 
  now 
  A'ield 
  about 
  

   4 
  barrels 
  per 
  day. 
  It 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  depleted. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  many 
  mussels 
  and 
  some 
  barnacles 
  on 
  this 
  reef. 
  The 
  

   general 
  extent 
  and 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  bed, 
  are 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  

   table 
  : 
  

  

  