﻿33 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  "svell 
  known 
  that 
  shell-fish 
  of 
  all 
  kinds 
  thrive 
  best 
  when 
  

   the 
  supply 
  of 
  lime 
  is 
  greatest. 
  The 
  fresh-water 
  mussels 
  which 
  

   live 
  in 
  streams 
  and 
  ponds 
  where 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  lime 
  is 
  scanty, 
  

   grow 
  slowly, 
  and 
  their 
  shells 
  are 
  so 
  thin 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  very 
  

   subject 
  to 
  accidents, 
  and 
  their 
  numbers 
  are 
  limited 
  ; 
  but 
  in 
  

   limestone 
  regions 
  the 
  shells 
  are 
  large 
  and 
  heavy, 
  and 
  the 
  bot- 
  

   toms 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  are 
  almost 
  paved 
  with 
  mussels, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   well 
  known 
  to 
  conchologists 
  that 
  coral 
  reefs 
  and 
  islands 
  are 
  

   the 
  most 
  favorable 
  regions 
  for 
  the 
  abundant 
  growth 
  of 
  all 
  

   kinds 
  of 
  shelled 
  molluscs. 
  

  

  The 
  dead 
  oyster-shell 
  is 
  soon 
  corroded, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  

   entirely 
  dissolved, 
  by 
  the 
  sea-water; 
  and 
  I 
  think 
  this 
  fact 
  is 
  

   another 
  reason 
  why 
  the 
  young 
  oysters 
  thrive 
  best 
  on 
  a 
  natural 
  

   oyster-bed. 
  

  

  How 
  far 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  oysters 
  is 
  limited 
  by 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  

   lime 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  say 
  ; 
  but 
  when 
  we 
  recollect 
  how 
  im- 
  

   portant 
  it 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  young 
  oysters 
  should 
  soon 
  find 
  solid 
  

   bodies 
  to 
  fasten 
  themselves 
  to, 
  and 
  that 
  they 
  should 
  protect 
  

   themselves 
  by 
  strong 
  shells 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  as 
  quickly 
  as 
  possible, 
  

   it 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  danger 
  of 
  exterminating 
  a 
  natural 
  bed 
  

   by 
  over-dredging 
  would 
  be 
  much 
  less 
  if 
  the 
  empty 
  shells 
  were 
  

   replaced 
  upon 
  the 
  bed. 
  There 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  best 
  

   natural 
  beds 
  may 
  be 
  destroyed 
  by 
  over-dredging, 
  and 
  that 
  this 
  

   fate 
  will 
  be 
  certain 
  to 
  overtake 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  tlie 
  Chesapeake 
  

   Bay 
  if 
  the 
  oyster 
  industry 
  continues 
  to 
  increase, 
  and 
  matters 
  

   are 
  left 
  to 
  adjust 
  themselves. 
  

  

  Like 
  most 
  dangers, 
  this 
  is 
  one 
  which 
  will 
  not 
  become 
  con- 
  

   Bpicuous 
  until 
  it 
  is 
  too 
  late 
  to 
  find 
  a 
  simple 
  remedy. 
  

  

  AVhether 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  which 
  are 
  at 
  present 
  taken 
  

   from 
  our 
  oyster 
  beds 
  is 
  too 
  great 
  or 
  not 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  which 
  is 
  

   outside 
  the 
  field 
  whicli 
  I 
  undertook 
  to 
  investigate, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  

   matter 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  public 
  have 
  the 
  greatest 
  interest, 
  and 
  the 
  

   extent 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  beds, 
  and 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  which 
  

   they 
  can 
  supply 
  each 
  year, 
  should 
  be 
  accurately 
  ascertained 
  

   before 
  it 
  is 
  too 
  late. 
  

  

  A 
  prophet 
  of 
  future 
  evil 
  is 
  always 
  regarded 
  as 
  an 
  unseason- 
  

   able 
  croaker, 
  but 
  the 
  facts 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  noticed 
  seem 
  to 
  show 
  

   that, 
  whether 
  the 
  danger 
  of 
  exterminating 
  the 
  best 
  and 
  most 
  

  

  