﻿LXXIII 
  

  

  O 
  rSTER 
  — 
  ( 
  Ostrea 
  virgin 
  iana) 
  . 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  hitherto 
  paid 
  no 
  special 
  attention 
  to 
  one 
  great 
  

   source 
  of 
  wealth 
  in 
  the 
  State, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  pro- 
  

   ducts 
  of 
  our 
  waters, 
  as 
  there 
  exists 
  a 
  department 
  specially 
  

   charged 
  with 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  oysters. 
  But 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  

   the 
  fishes 
  inhabiting 
  the 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  has 
  necessarily 
  led 
  

   us 
  to 
  the 
  consideration 
  of 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  oyster-beds. 
  

   As 
  some 
  of 
  our 
  most 
  important 
  fishes 
  derive 
  their 
  food 
  either 
  

   directly 
  from 
  the 
  oyster, 
  or 
  prey 
  upon 
  smaller 
  fishes 
  which 
  

   are 
  attracted 
  to 
  the 
  oyster-beds 
  by 
  the 
  parasites 
  which 
  there 
  

   abound, 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  several 
  varieties 
  in 
  our 
  waters 
  is 
  de- 
  

   pendent 
  upon 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  the 
  oyster-beds. 
  

  

  These 
  considerations 
  have 
  rendered 
  it 
  necessary, 
  for 
  a 
  just 
  

   appreciation 
  of 
  the 
  subject, 
  that 
  we 
  should 
  make 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  

   the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  this 
  important 
  mollusk. 
  With 
  this 
  

   object 
  in 
  view, 
  we 
  were 
  fortunate 
  in 
  securing 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  

   Dr. 
  W. 
  K. 
  Brooks, 
  associate 
  in 
  Biology 
  of 
  the 
  Johns 
  Hopkins 
  

   University, 
  and 
  the 
  trustees 
  of 
  the 
  Institution 
  very 
  kindly 
  

   sanctioned 
  Dr. 
  Brooks' 
  absence 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  weeks 
  prior 
  to 
  the 
  

   close 
  of 
  the 
  session. 
  Having 
  urged 
  upon 
  Dr. 
  Brooks 
  the 
  im- 
  

   portance 
  of 
  commencing 
  his 
  researches 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  he 
  

   accordingly 
  proceeded 
  to 
  Crisfield 
  in 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  May. 
  

  

  The 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  embryology 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  resulted 
  in 
  the 
  

   acquisition 
  of 
  information 
  which 
  must 
  prove 
  most 
  valuable 
  

   not 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  the 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay, 
  but 
  to 
  

   the 
  whole 
  Atlantic 
  Coast. 
  The 
  results 
  of 
  these 
  investigations 
  

   by 
  Dr. 
  Brooks, 
  and 
  his 
  very 
  able 
  treatise 
  on 
  the 
  embryology 
  

   of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  appendix 
  of 
  this 
  report. 
  

   It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  these 
  investigations 
  have 
  placed 
  it 
  within 
  

   our 
  power 
  to 
  multiply 
  the 
  oyster 
  to 
  an 
  indefinite 
  amount, 
  and 
  

   although 
  the 
  supply 
  has 
  diminished 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  alarming 
  extent, 
  

   we 
  have 
  now 
  sufficient 
  knowledge 
  to 
  enable 
  us, 
  at 
  any 
  time, 
  

   to 
  arrest 
  this 
  decrease. 
  A 
  careful 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  results 
  

   of 
  Dr. 
  Brooks' 
  researches 
  would 
  indicftte 
  the 
  advisability 
  of 
  

   establishing 
  at 
  some 
  suitable 
  point 
  on 
  the 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay, 
  

   without 
  delay, 
  a 
  breeding 
  park. 
  This 
  can 
  be 
  done 
  at 
  very 
  

   little 
  expense, 
  and 
  would 
  be 
  of 
  njuch 
  importance 
  not 
  only 
  to 
  

  

  