PREFACE. 



In March, 1910, the Commissioners of Shell Fisheries authorized 

 an examination of the sanitary condition of the waters of Narragansett 

 Bay and its tributaries, relative to the growing of oysters. They 

 placed Prof. F. P. Gorham, head of the Department of Bacterio- 

 logy of Brown University, in charge of this work, with the writer as 

 an assistant. 



On beginning this work it was found that there were many prol^lems 

 that would require more study than could be given while performing 

 the routine bacteriological examinations of water, mud, shellfish, etc. 

 To a great extent this work was new and the method of procedure had 

 to be worked out as the investigation progressed. While there had 

 been much work performed upon shellfish examinations, both abroad 

 and in this country, there were still many problems which had not 

 been solved and it was deemed advisable by the Commission that 

 some of these problems which were of great importance to the shellfish 

 industry should be given special attention. 



The writer was early assigned to conduct a series of experiments and 

 investigations along the lines that had been found would apparently 

 prove of the greatest advantage to the oyster industry. The results 

 of some of these investigations is published in this booklet. 



The writer wishes to take this opportunity to express his sincerest 

 thanks to Prof. F. P. Gorham, head of the Bepartment of Bacterio- 

 logy of Brown University, whose valuable advice and criticisms have 

 been exceedingly helpful and under whose direction the work herein 

 reported has been done; to Drs. A. D. Mead, H. E. Walter and P. H. 

 Mitchell, who have made valuable suggestions and criticisms on differ- 

 ent points in the work; to the members of the Narragansett Bay 

 Oyster Company, the American Oyster Company, the Wickford 

 Oyster Company and the Beacon Oyster Company, ri,n<>l;tq Captain 

 William B. Welden, all of whom have rendered valuable 'aid ili carrjnng ' 

 out many of the experiments; also to Mr. W. B. Mason cf TlieMec-^. 

 chants' Cold Storage and Warehouse Company who'ha.^ 'giVen'fl-ee'' 

 use of the company's cold storage rooms for the experiments on 

 hibernation. 



L. A. R. 



Brown University, 

 May 1, 1914. 



911A98 



