[19] CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND VALUE OF FISH FOR Foop. 249 
PA EL: 
ANALYSES OF INVERTEBRATES, 
By ©. D. Woops, B. S., AND MILES BEAMER, C. E. 
[The following analyses have been undertaken and reported, at my 
suggestion, by Messrs. Woods and Beamer, who have also shared in the 
analyses of fish above described. 
Thanks are due to Mr. F. T. Lane, of New Haven, Conn., and Mr. J. F. 
Ely, of Baltimore, Md., and especially to Mr. E. G. Blackford,* Fish 
Commissioner of the State of New York, for samples furnished for 
analysis, and for valuable information.—W. O. A.] 
DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLES. 
In the deseriptions*as well as in the tables which follow the samples 
of each species are arranged in the order of locality, the most northern 
coming first. 
OYSTERS (Ostrea Virginiana). 
No. LX VIII. From Buzzard’s Bay, Mass. 
Received from Messrs. Bunting and Warren, Newton, Mass., May 5, 
1881. They were of medium size. The relative amount of edible por- 
tion (flesh and liquids) as compared with shell was large, 20.01 per cent. 
Only one sample of all gave a larger percentage of edible material than 
this. 
No. LXX. From Providence River, Rhode Island. 
Received at the same time and from the same parties as No. LX VILL. 
They were larger than the average oyster even of our northern coast, 
but with this larger size of shell there was relatively less edible portion, 
17.00 per cent. 
No. LV. From Stony Creek, Conn. 
Purchased, April 5, in Middletown, but originally obtained from the 
Stony Creek Oyster Company. These were very large, the length aver- 
aging not far from 6 inches. There were 39 in one peck. 
No. LXXV. From Stony Creex, Conn. 
Purchased in Middletown, May 24,1881. The analysis of this second 
sample from the same locality as the previous one was suggested by 
the claim of the oystermen that the oysters at this time were much 
better than they had been earlier in the season. The analysis shows 
very little difference in composition, No. LXXV centaining relatively 
less nitrogen and more fat. The percentages of water were: in No. 
* A portion of the expense of the investigation was also borne by Mr. Blackford, as 
stated in the introduction to the present report, 
