FIFTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 



During July the temperature of the water in the tank ranged 

 from 65 to JT, degrees, and during August from 70 to 74, while 

 in the pond it ranged from 71 to 87 degrees. The density- 

 varying in each from 1.017 to 1.020, standing at the latter figure 

 steadily from July 19 to the close of the season. 



Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y. 



Mr. Bartlett. — Can you tell us what indicates the ripeness 

 of the oyster ? 



Mr. Mather. — The appearance of ripeness is a milkiness 

 and swollen appearance of what you might call the body of the 

 oyster, and when you press it you get a milky substance; in fact, 

 the whole oyster is distended a great deal as a ripe fish is. 



Mr. Bartlett. — It is quite apparent then ? 



Mr. Mather. — Ver}' apparent to a person who is at all 

 familiar with it, as I have explained in this paper, 



Mr. Clark. — I would like to ask Mr. Mather if any one has 

 tried to make any computation of how much spawn there is in 

 one female ? 



Mr. Mather. — It has been done. I cannot give you the fig- 

 ures now, but I think if I were home and had access to my 

 library I could very easily give that to you. I have an idea that 

 perhaps an oyster of ordinary size may have nine or ten 

 millions of eggs, and that it would vary as it does in the case 

 of fish. 



Dr. Hudson. — The Chair would state in answer to that ques- 

 tion that the estimates vary considerably, and many of them 

 are made very much higher than what Mr. Mather has stated. 

 It has been estimated in many cases as high as fifty millions. 



Mr, Clark. — Have you any idea of your own, Mr. Mather, 

 what portion you impregnated .? 



Mr. Mather. — I have not, because to get at this it will be 

 necessary to go over the whole mass with the microscope, and 

 you would have very few in the field at a time We made no 

 effort to estimate the amount of any impregnation. We recog- 



