THE WORM DISEASE IN OYSTERS. 109 



Commissioners of Fisheries for New South Wales, appointed 

 under the Fisheries Act, 1881. 



Hon. W. Macleay President. g 



Hon. W. B. Dalley ] ' 



Hon. H. C. Dangar f. ijinA i looi 



TTnn P.Pn Tl.nrn%nn ' Appointed 19 April, 18S1. 



Hon. Geo. Thornton 



Hon. W. B. Dalley \ 



Mr. Alex. Oliver ) 



Date of Appointment. 



Hon. Richard Hill F/ce Hon. Geo. Thornton, resigned 5 April, 18S2. 



Mr. Geo. F. Want ,, Hon. W. B. Dalley, resigned 5 May, 1882. 



Mr. John H. Geddes ... ,, Hon. H. C. Dangar, resigned 5 June, 1882. 



Mr. F. J. Thomas „ Mr. Alex. Oliver, resigned 18 October, 1882. 



Dr. Jas. C. Cox ,, Hon. W. Macleay, resigned 18 October, 1882. 



Mr. Jas. R. Hill Vice Mr. John H. Geddes, resigned ... 3 January, 1885. 



Mr. Alex. Oliver ,, Mr. Geo. F. Want, resigned 13 May, 1885. 



Mr. S. H. Hyam ,, Mr. F. G. Thomas, resigned 11 June, 1886. 



Dr. Jas. C. Cox President, reappointed 20 October, 1887. 



Dr. E. P. Ramsay F/cc Hon. Richard Hill, resigned 5 November, 1887. 



Present Board of Commissioners. 



Dr. Jas. C. Cox President, reappointed from 20 October, 1887. 



Mr. Jas. R. Hill Reappointed from 3 January, 1885. 



Hon. S. H. Hyam Reappointed from 11 June, 1886. 



Dr. E. P. Ramsay Reappointed from 5 November, 1887- 



Hon. W. R. Campbell... Vice Mr. Alex. Oliver, resigned. 



Appointed from " 5 May, 1890. 



Note. — Doctors Cox and Ramsay have again been reappointed in their respective 

 positions for a further term of five years. 



Extracts from Ueport on the Worm Disease affecting the 

 Oysters on the Coast of New South Wales. 



By Thomas Whitelegge. 



The Infected Area. — Hunter River. 



Tms is very generally distributed, having been met with in various situations, 

 from about half-tide line to moderately deep water, still the principal home of the 

 worm appears to be on the mud flats above low-water mark. The oysters from 

 this region were invariably infected with the worm, particularly those Avhich 

 lay loose on the surface or partially buried in the mud. A\^hilst those 

 oysters which were fixed to some solid substance, and elevated ever so little 

 above the surface of the mud were comparatively free from the pest. 



From what I ascertained of the habits of the worm, it appears that a large 

 amount of mud is necessary to its existence, and that the more muddy the 

 place the better the worm thrives ; such being the case, it is reasonable to 

 suppose that those oysters which are fixed on some solid body, and some- 

 what above the surface of the mud, will have a better chance of escaping the 

 ravages of the worm, than those which are partially buried in mud or lying 

 loose on the surface. I conclude, therefore, that if some loose material, such 

 as stones, old shells, &c., was placed on the mud-flats for the spat to set 

 upon, removing it from direct contact with the mud, that the prevalence of 

 the worm would be considerably diminished. In the absence of such 

 material the worms have no other alternative but to fix on the oysters as a 

 place of refuge. 



