﻿26 
  

  

  OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

   Oyster 
  Growth 
  on 
  Chicken 
  Keep. 
  

  

  Character 
  of 
  oystor 
  growtli. 
  

  

  Area. 
  

  

  Oysters 
  per 
  acre. 
  

  

  Under 
  3 
  

   inches. 
  

  

  Overs 
  

   inches. 
  

  

  Estimated 
  content 
  of 
  oysters. 
  

  

  Seed. 
  

  

  Market. 
  Total 
  

  

  Dense 
  

  

  Scattering 
  

  

  Very 
  scattering 
  

   Depleted 
  

  

  Total 
  

  

  Acres. 
  

   88 
  

   40 
  

   20 
  

   12 
  

  

  Biishels. 
  

   305 
  

   252 
  

  

  82 
  

   22 
  

  

  Bushels. 
  

   252 
  

   110 
  

  

  Bushels. 
  

  

  26, 
  840 
  

  

  10, 
  080 
  

  

  1,640 
  

  

  264 
  

  

  Bushels. 
  

  

  22, 
  176 
  

  

  4, 
  400 
  

  

  980 
  

  

  60 
  

  

  Bushels. 
  

  

  49, 
  016 
  

  

  14,4SO 
  

  

  •J, 
  620 
  

  

  324 
  

  

  38, 
  824 
  

  

  27, 
  616 
  

  

  66, 
  440 
  

  

  Details 
  op 
  Examination 
  op 
  Chicken 
  Reef. 
  

  

  North 
  of 
  the 
  barrier 
  of 
  these 
  cross 
  reefs 
  tlie 
  sahiiity 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  

   rechu'cd 
  and 
  the 
  mussels 
  become 
  more 
  numerous 
  and, 
  contrary 
  to 
  the 
  

   accepted 
  \aew 
  that 
  barnacles 
  occur 
  more 
  frequently 
  in 
  waters 
  of 
  

   higher 
  salinity, 
  the 
  reverse 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  true 
  in 
  Lavaca 
  Bay. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  patch 
  one-half 
  mile 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  western 
  extremity 
  

   of 
  Chicken 
  Reef. 
  It 
  is 
  practically 
  circular 
  in 
  outline, 
  having 
  a 
  diame- 
  

   ter 
  of 
  175 
  yard^. 
  Depth 
  of 
  water 
  5 
  feet. 
  An 
  examination 
  showed 
  an 
  

   average 
  of 
  about 
  323 
  bushels 
  of 
  market 
  oysters 
  and 
  253 
  bushels 
  of 
  

   small 
  ones 
  j)er 
  acre, 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  patch 
  being 
  about 
  8 
  acres. 
  

  

  BEDS 
  NORTHWEST 
  OF 
  LAP 
  REEF. 
  

  

  About 
  three-quarters 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  northwest 
  of 
  Lap 
  Reef 
  there 
  are 
  

   three 
  beds, 
  two 
  of 
  wliich 
  are 
  small, 
  vaiAang 
  from 
  250 
  to 
  350 
  yards 
  in 
  

   length, 
  wliile 
  the 
  third 
  is 
  about 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  long, 
  and 
  

   narrow, 
  excepting 
  near 
  the 
  northern 
  margin, 
  where 
  it 
  broadens 
  to 
  a 
  

   width 
  of 
  500 
  yards. 
  

  

  The 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  ranges 
  from 
  4 
  to 
  5h 
  feet 
  and 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  but 
  

   little 
  elevated 
  above 
  the 
  adjacent 
  bottom. 
  The 
  patch 
  nearest 
  to 
  the 
  

   west 
  shore 
  bears 
  scattering 
  clusters 
  of 
  large 
  oystei"s 
  of 
  the 
  snapper 
  

   type, 
  with 
  some 
  mussels 
  and 
  barnacles, 
  and 
  the 
  second 
  lump 
  showed 
  

  

  