2 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



are compelled by internal or external forces to spawn at a definite time, 

 irrespective of cold or warm seasons or stormy or calm seas, or if they have 

 the power to await a favourable time, or even to refuse to spawn; whether 

 a noise, tremor, odour or touch from one spawning oyster communicates 

 an uncontrollable impulse to others; and scores of such questions about 

 the time when oysters discharge their eggs. We desire to know the 

 size, shape, colour, structure and activities of the egg, and of every suc- 

 ceeding stage in development until the new individual grown up from 

 the egg is as complete as the mother individual that produced it; to know 

 how long it takes for the growing organism to reach each clearly marked 

 change of structure or of habit; to be able to distinguish it at every step 

 from the young of other species; to understand the physical and bio- 

 logical conditions surrounding, influencing or occasioning its existence 

 as egg, embryo, larva, spat, or adult; and a thousand related circum- 

 stances connected with the manner in which the egg becomes an 

 03'ster. 



Difficulties of Research. — To many of such questions answers have 

 been given that are fairly correct or are reasonable guesses, partly 

 wrong or absolutely false; to some no answers have been offered, while in 

 the case of others the questions themselves have never been propounded. 

 It has not unfrequently happened that opinions current in less critical 

 ages have been allowed to pass unchallenged into modern literature, and 

 sometimes men have been more intent in recording themselves among the 

 authors on the subject than in gaining a practical acquaintance with the 

 subject itself. This renders the literature cumbersome, and compels 

 future investigators to waste much time in rummaging through worthless 

 publications, for the sincere student desires to know, and to give credit 

 for, what has already been done, as well as to make use of it in planning 

 his own researches. He is compelled to estimate the value of each article 

 in the light of his own experience, and, by comparison with the most 

 reasonable statements of previously published records, to judge by in- 

 ternal evidence of the opportunities and qualifications of its author. 



To reach this ideal requires years of faithful work, and no man can 

 understand so well his own limitations, or the difficulties that arise, as the 

 one wdio earnestly tries to advance our knowledge on any problem that 

 has engaged the attention of hundreds before him. Time after time 

 questions arise and assume such importance as to appear to be the key to 

 the whole subject, but, when answered, sink in significance relative to 

 others that are suggested; the investigator changes the direction of his 

 research, adjusts his methods, and awaits results pointing towards his 

 next move. Each change of plan may call for new apparatus, a different 

 field of experiment, and considerable time to give a fair trial. The bring- 

 ing together of men of sound training and suitable experience, of literary 

 records of what has already been accomplished, of necessary apparatus 



