﻿OYSTEE 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

  

  27 
  

  

  a 
  better 
  growth 
  of 
  oysters, 
  but 
  twice 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  mussels 
  and 
  

   barnacles. 
  On 
  the 
  largo 
  patch 
  five 
  stations 
  were 
  made, 
  showing 
  

   oysters, 
  together 
  with 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  mussels 
  and 
  barnacles. 
  At 
  

   two 
  of 
  these 
  stations 
  on 
  the 
  widest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  patch 
  the 
  bottom 
  was 
  

   rather 
  soft, 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  were 
  black, 
  having 
  been 
  taken 
  from 
  

   below 
  the 
  surface. 
  Tliis 
  bed 
  is 
  fished 
  but 
  little 
  and 
  consequently 
  not 
  

   much 
  is 
  known 
  about 
  it. 
  It 
  will 
  probably 
  not 
  yield 
  more 
  than 
  4 
  or 
  5 
  

   barrels 
  per 
  man 
  per 
  day. 
  

  

  Three 
  additional 
  beds 
  of 
  44 
  acres 
  were 
  located 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  

   large 
  patch, 
  but 
  no 
  investigations 
  were 
  made 
  on 
  them. 
  

  

  Tlie 
  following 
  tables 
  exhibit 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  examination 
  of 
  these 
  

   beds 
  : 
  

  

  Oyster 
  Growth 
  on 
  Beds 
  Northwest 
  op 
  Lap 
  Reef. 
  

  

  Details 
  op 
  Examination 
  of 
  Beds 
  Northwest 
  op 
  Lap 
  Reef. 
  

  

  CHAIN 
  BEDS. 
  

  

  These 
  beds, 
  12 
  in 
  number, 
  lie 
  off 
  Signal 
  Bay 
  and, 
  with 
  one 
  excep- 
  

   tion, 
  are 
  small 
  isolated 
  patches, 
  none 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  a 
  local 
  name. 
  

   The 
  depth 
  varies 
  from 
  3^ 
  to 
  5 
  feet 
  with 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  from 
  one-half 
  

   to 
  1 
  foot 
  above 
  the 
  surrounding 
  bottom. 
  Four 
  beds 
  were 
  examined. 
  

   The 
  largest 
  of 
  the 
  series 
  has 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  1 
  mile 
  and 
  a 
  width 
  of 
  350 
  

   yards, 
  and 
  on 
  this 
  five 
  stations 
  were 
  made. 
  The 
  southern 
  end 
  showed 
  

   about 
  24 
  counts, 
  14 
  culls, 
  41 
  spat, 
  and 
  90 
  mussels 
  per 
  square 
  j^ard; 
  

   near 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  the 
  bottom 
  was 
  rather 
  soft, 
  with 
  some 
  

   mussels, 
  barnacles, 
  and 
  buried 
  shells 
  along 
  with 
  the 
  oysters; 
  at 
  the 
  

   northern 
  end 
  there 
  were 
  about 
  7 
  counts, 
  8 
  culls, 
  and 
  4 
  spat 
  per 
  square 
  

   yard, 
  also 
  some 
  buried 
  shells. 
  This 
  bed 
  is 
  fished 
  but 
  Httle, 
  although 
  

   the 
  oysters 
  are 
  of 
  fair 
  flavor. 
  The 
  first 
  small 
  lump 
  of 
  6 
  acres 
  north 
  of 
  

  

  