﻿386 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [G] 
  

  

  thickly 
  coated 
  with 
  vegetable 
  life, 
  such 
  as 
  filamentous 
  algie, 
  or 
  diatoms, 
  

   or 
  with 
  incrustiug 
  animal 
  life, 
  such 
  as 
  bryozoa 
  barnacles 
  and 
  aseidians, 
  

   ooze 
  or 
  sediment, 
  the 
  chances 
  for 
  the 
  survival 
  of 
  the 
  adherent 
  fry 
  and 
  

   its 
  capability 
  of 
  growing 
  into 
  spat 
  is 
  greatly 
  diminished 
  or 
  rendered 
  

   quite 
  impossible. 
  Diatoms 
  will 
  very 
  often 
  increase 
  on 
  such 
  surfaces 
  

   with 
  prodigious 
  rapidity, 
  and 
  form 
  a 
  thick 
  coating 
  which 
  will 
  greatly 
  

   interfere 
  with 
  .the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  first 
  adherent 
  stages 
  of 
  the 
  oyster. 
  

   In 
  fact, 
  the 
  latter 
  are 
  asphyxiated 
  in 
  prodigious 
  numbers 
  from 
  such 
  

   causes. 
  

  

  5. 
  Why 
  oyster 
  fry 
  adheres 
  to 
  the 
  lower 
  side 
  of 
  collectors. 
  — 
  Another 
  fal- 
  

   lacious 
  belief 
  which 
  has 
  gained 
  some 
  currency 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  fry 
  will 
  ad- 
  

   here 
  to 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  of 
  collectors 
  or 
  en 
  Itch 
  more 
  freely 
  and 
  in 
  

   greater 
  numbers 
  than 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  surface. 
  This 
  is 
  apparently 
  but 
  not 
  

   actually 
  true. 
  The 
  reason 
  that 
  more 
  spat 
  is 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  

   the 
  collectors 
  is 
  simply 
  because 
  the 
  sediment 
  deposited 
  on 
  the 
  cultch 
  

   from 
  the 
  water 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  gravity 
  will 
  fall 
  only 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  and 
  

   not 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  collectors. 
  In 
  this 
  way 
  it 
  happens 
  that 
  

   the 
  fry 
  which 
  adheres 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  cultch 
  is 
  soon 
  smoth- 
  

   ered, 
  while 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  survives. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  readily 
  understood 
  

   that 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  easy 
  thing 
  to 
  smother 
  an 
  organism 
  which 
  is 
  sedentary 
  

   like 
  the 
  diminutive 
  young 
  oyster, 
  since 
  it 
  at 
  first 
  measures 
  only 
  ^th 
  

   of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  

  

  6. 
  Light. 
  — 
  This 
  brings 
  us 
  to 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  light 
  and 
  the 
  part 
  it 
  plays 
  

   in 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  infant 
  oyster. 
  Light 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  subordinate 
  im- 
  

   portance, 
  for 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  fry 
  which 
  adheres 
  to 
  the 
  under 
  

   and 
  shaded 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  cultch, 
  if 
  the 
  conditions 
  are 
  otherwise 
  favorable, 
  

   will 
  grow 
  just 
  as 
  rapidly 
  as 
  that 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  side 
  in 
  the 
  direct 
  

   light. 
  Indirect 
  light, 
  therefore, 
  seems 
  sufficient 
  for 
  the 
  purposes 
  of 
  the 
  

   health 
  of 
  the 
  animal. 
  

  

  7. 
  Density 
  of 
  water. 
  — 
  The 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  also 
  to 
  be 
  considered 
  

   in 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  hygiene 
  of 
  the 
  oyster. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  

   exist 
  in 
  water 
  barely 
  more 
  than 
  perceptibly 
  saline, 
  or 
  in 
  water 
  having 
  

   a 
  density 
  nearly 
  equal 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  ocean. 
  While 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  

   its 
  favorite 
  abode 
  is 
  in 
  bays, 
  inlets, 
  and 
  the 
  mouths 
  of 
  rivers 
  adjoin- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  sea, 
  and 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  density, 
  as 
  measured 
  by 
  the 
  hydrometer, 
  

   would 
  range 
  from 
  1.003 
  up 
  to 
  1.0235, 
  the 
  writer 
  has 
  himself 
  found 
  oys- 
  

   ters 
  living 
  in 
  this 
  great 
  range 
  of 
  densities, 
  or 
  in 
  water 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  

   brackish 
  on 
  up 
  to 
  that 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  far 
  from 
  as 
  saline 
  as 
  that 
  found 
  

   in 
  the 
  open 
  ocean. 
  

  

  It 
  appears 
  also 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  fact, 
  though 
  I 
  give 
  it 
  as 
  such 
  with 
  some 
  hesi- 
  

   tancy, 
  that 
  the 
  greatest 
  amount 
  of 
  spat 
  falls 
  in 
  water 
  having 
  a 
  density 
  

   ranging 
  from 
  1.014 
  to 
  about 
  1.022. 
  

  

  8. 
  Bathymetric 
  distribution. 
  — 
  The 
  bathymetric 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  ani- 
  

   mal 
  ranges 
  from 
  the 
  shore 
  line 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  probably 
  ten 
  or 
  twelve 
  

   fathoms. 
  Deep-water 
  culture 
  is 
  now 
  becoming 
  a 
  prominent 
  and 
  profit- 
  

   able 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  ©yster 
  industry 
  in 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound, 
  since 
  its 
  feasi- 
  

  

  