﻿135 
  

  

  'that 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  spawning 
  of 
  the 
  shoal 
  

   and 
  deep 
  water 
  oysters. 
  There 
  is 
  but 
  one 
  other 
  way 
  of 
  account- 
  

   ing 
  for 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  young 
  on 
  tlie 
  northern 
  beds, 
  and 
  that 
  is 
  

   by 
  accepting 
  the 
  supposition 
  that 
  the 
  " 
  spatting 
  " 
  not 
  only 
  

   does 
  not 
  occur 
  every 
  year, 
  but 
  that 
  it 
  only 
  occurs 
  on 
  parts 
  of 
  

   "the 
  Sounds 
  during 
  each 
  season. 
  Such 
  is 
  the 
  opinion 
  of 
  many 
  

   people 
  of 
  experience 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  am 
  inclined, 
  from 
  the 
  results 
  al- 
  

   ready 
  given, 
  to 
  prefer 
  the 
  other 
  solution 
  of 
  the 
  problem, 
  not 
  

   having 
  found 
  any 
  reason 
  that 
  would 
  support 
  the 
  opposite 
  

   theory 
  or 
  lead 
  to 
  its 
  entertainment.* 
  

  

  The 
  difference 
  in 
  time 
  of 
  spawning 
  in 
  shoal 
  and 
  deep 
  

   water 
  is 
  probably 
  due 
  to 
  difference 
  in 
  temperature, 
  the 
  deep 
  

   er 
  water 
  naturally 
  being 
  of 
  the 
  lowest. 
  The 
  establishment 
  

   •or 
  the 
  refutation 
  of 
  this 
  supposition, 
  as 
  also 
  of 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  dif- 
  

   ference 
  of 
  the 
  times 
  of 
  spawning, 
  is 
  very 
  necessary, 
  especially 
  

   •of 
  the 
  latter, 
  as 
  it 
  would 
  afford 
  a 
  sure 
  basis 
  for 
  such 
  legislation 
  

   for 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  as 
  will 
  soon 
  be 
  necessary. 
  

   Aside 
  from 
  the 
  general 
  absence 
  or 
  presence 
  of 
  young 
  on 
  par- 
  

   •ticular 
  beds, 
  it 
  was 
  noticed 
  that 
  a 
  much 
  smaller 
  number 
  were 
  

   found 
  on 
  or 
  adjacent 
  to 
  the 
  muddy 
  bottoms, 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  sands 
  

   where 
  there 
  was 
  much 
  grass 
  or 
  sponge. 
  On 
  the 
  beds 
  a 
  large 
  

   number 
  of 
  young 
  were 
  seldom 
  found 
  where 
  there 
  was 
  much 
  

   •of 
  the 
  red 
  moss, 
  though 
  there 
  was 
  not 
  alM^ays 
  a 
  diminution 
  of 
  

   the 
  former 
  when 
  the 
  latter 
  was 
  present. 
  

  

  The 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  may 
  be 
  very 
  readily 
  accounted 
  

   for 
  if 
  the 
  moss 
  had 
  formed 
  previous 
  to 
  the 
  " 
  spatting," 
  as 
  it 
  

   would 
  prevent 
  the 
  exposure 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  cultch." 
  The 
  moss 
  or 
  

   weed 
  is 
  of 
  very 
  rapid 
  growth, 
  and 
  I 
  was 
  informed 
  that 
  on 
  an 
  

   unworked 
  bed 
  it 
  had 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  become 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  

   feet 
  thick 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  months. 
  If, 
  then, 
  it 
  had 
  formed 
  and 
  com- 
  

   menced 
  growing 
  after 
  the 
  " 
  spatting 
  " 
  season, 
  the 
  young 
  would 
  

   not 
  be 
  as 
  much 
  disturbed 
  by 
  it 
  as 
  they 
  would 
  if 
  the 
  growth 
  

   had 
  been 
  previous 
  to 
  their 
  advent. 
  This 
  is 
  another 
  argument 
  

   in 
  favor 
  of 
  the 
  theory 
  that 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  influences 
  the 
  

   "time 
  of 
  spawning, 
  as 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  moss 
  or 
  weed 
  upon 
  tlie 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  young 
  was 
  greater 
  in 
  deep 
  than 
  in 
  shallow 
  water. 
  

   The 
  number 
  of 
  drills 
  were, 
  generally 
  speaking, 
  in 
  direct 
  pro- 
  

  

  *NoTE 
  — 
  Reference 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  Ibis 
  statement 
  in 
  Report 
  of 
  1879. 
  

  

  