﻿10 
  

  

  greenish 
  liver. 
  Back 
  of 
  the 
  liver 
  and 
  stomach 
  the 
  convo- 
  

   luted 
  intestine 
  will 
  be 
  seen, 
  cut 
  irregularly 
  at 
  several 
  points 
  

   by 
  the 
  section. 
  

  

  The 
  coils 
  of 
  the 
  intestine 
  are 
  imbedded 
  in 
  a 
  light-colored 
  

   mass 
  of 
  tissue 
  — 
  the 
  reproductive 
  organ 
  — 
  which 
  forms 
  the 
  

   greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  visceral 
  mass. 
  The 
  reproductive 
  organ 
  

   varies 
  greatly 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  season, 
  and 
  forms 
  most 
  of 
  

   what 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  " 
  fat 
  " 
  of 
  the 
  oyster. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  no 
  accessory 
  organs 
  of 
  reproduction, 
  and 
  the 
  po- 
  

   sition, 
  form 
  and 
  general 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  reproductive 
  or- 
  

   gan 
  is 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  both 
  sexes. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  characteristic 
  by 
  

   which 
  a 
  male 
  oyster 
  can 
  be 
  distinguished 
  from 
  a 
  female 
  with- 
  

   out 
  microscopic 
  examination. 
  As 
  the 
  reproductive 
  organ 
  

   has 
  an 
  opening 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  it 
  is 
  usually 
  spoken 
  

   of 
  as 
  double, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  oyster 
  it 
  forms 
  one 
  continuous 
  

   mass, 
  with 
  no 
  trace 
  of 
  a 
  division 
  into 
  halves, 
  and 
  extends 
  

   entirely 
  across 
  the 
  body 
  and 
  into 
  all 
  the 
  bends 
  and 
  folds 
  of 
  

   the 
  digestive 
  tract. 
  

  

  As 
  my 
  observations 
  only 
  extend 
  over 
  one 
  summer, 
  I 
  cannot 
  

   make 
  any 
  general 
  statements 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  breeding 
  season, 
  ex- 
  

   cept 
  that 
  the 
  oysters 
  in 
  shallow 
  water 
  spawn 
  first, 
  and 
  those 
  in 
  

   deeper 
  water 
  later, 
  as 
  the 
  water 
  becomes 
  warmer. 
  Nearly 
  

   all 
  the 
  oysters 
  in 
  shallow 
  water 
  spawn 
  at 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  time-, 
  

   but 
  there 
  is 
  more 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  oysters 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  

   bed 
  in 
  deep 
  water. 
  Oysters 
  in 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  six 
  feet 
  of 
  water 
  

   in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Crisfield, 
  probably 
  spawn 
  between 
  the 
  mid- 
  

   dle 
  and 
  end 
  of 
  May, 
  but 
  oysters 
  with 
  ripe 
  eggs 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  

   water 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  six 
  fathoms 
  deep 
  from 
  the 
  1st 
  to 
  the 
  30tb. 
  

   of 
  July, 
  although 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  spawn 
  late 
  in 
  June. 
  

  

  ARTIFICIAL 
  IMPREGNATION 
  OF 
  THE 
  OYSTER 
  EGGS. 
  

  

  If 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  are 
  opened 
  during 
  the 
  breeding 
  sea- 
  

   son, 
  a 
  few 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  with 
  the 
  reproductive 
  organ 
  greatly 
  

   distended 
  and 
  of 
  an 
  uniform 
  pure 
  opaque 
  white 
  color. 
  These 
  

   are 
  oysters 
  which 
  are 
  spawning 
  or 
  nearly 
  ready 
  to 
  spawn. 
  

  

  