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  portion 
  to 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  young, 
  and 
  the 
  Pocomoke 
  beds, 
  es- 
  

   pecially 
  the 
  Bird 
  and 
  Hern 
  Island 
  Eocks, 
  appeared 
  to 
  have 
  

   suffered 
  most 
  from 
  their 
  ravages. 
  

  

  A 
  description 
  and 
  sketch 
  of 
  this 
  animal, 
  taken 
  from 
  spe- 
  

   cimens 
  preserved 
  by 
  me, 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  by 
  Mr. 
  W. 
  H. 
  Dall, 
  

   Assistant, 
  who 
  has 
  kindly 
  furnished 
  me 
  with 
  copies. 
  Yery 
  

   few 
  star 
  fish, 
  and 
  no 
  other 
  enemies 
  were 
  discovered 
  in 
  the 
  

   Sounds, 
  and 
  the 
  drills 
  are 
  probably 
  the 
  only 
  ones 
  that 
  do 
  

   any 
  considerable 
  damage. 
  

  

  In 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  beneficial 
  effect, 
  or 
  the 
  reverse, 
  of 
  fresh 
  

   water, 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  oysters 
  at 
  least 
  appear 
  

   fatter 
  and 
  are 
  superior 
  after 
  absorbing 
  it, 
  though 
  they 
  become 
  

   poorer 
  in 
  flavor. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  test 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  fresh 
  water 
  upon 
  them 
  and 
  to 
  

   determine 
  if 
  the 
  low 
  spring 
  tides 
  had 
  any 
  share 
  in 
  causing 
  

   the 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  numbers 
  on 
  the 
  beds, 
  a 
  dozen 
  oysters 
  were 
  

   selected 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  bed 
  and 
  haul 
  of 
  the 
  dredge. 
  Six 
  of 
  them 
  

   were 
  opened 
  immediately 
  and 
  inspected 
  and 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  rath- 
  

   er 
  poor, 
  of 
  small 
  size, 
  and 
  dark 
  color, 
  but 
  of 
  the 
  ordinary 
  flavor. 
  

   The 
  remaining 
  six 
  oysters 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  perfectly 
  fresh 
  water 
  

   for 
  twenty-four 
  hours, 
  the 
  water 
  being 
  changed 
  several 
  times 
  

   during 
  that 
  interval. 
  They 
  were 
  then 
  opened 
  and 
  inspected. 
  

   They 
  were 
  alive 
  and 
  in 
  good 
  order, 
  very 
  fat, 
  or 
  apparently 
  so, 
  

   and 
  of 
  a 
  creamy 
  white 
  color 
  and 
  much 
  swollen, 
  but 
  of 
  very 
  

   insipid 
  taste. 
  As 
  the 
  oysters 
  were 
  alive 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  day's 
  

   immersion 
  in 
  fresh 
  water, 
  they 
  can 
  not 
  well 
  be 
  destroyed 
  

   by 
  the 
  brackish 
  water 
  of 
  low 
  Spring 
  ebbs, 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  would 
  

   not 
  be 
  exposed 
  for 
  more 
  than 
  six 
  hours, 
  though 
  a 
  continuance 
  

   of 
  heavy 
  freshets 
  might 
  very 
  seriously 
  affect 
  them. 
  As 
  there 
  

   is 
  but 
  one 
  river 
  in 
  both 
  Sounds 
  (the 
  Pocomoke) 
  likely 
  to 
  sub- 
  

   ject 
  the 
  oysters 
  to 
  this 
  evil, 
  for 
  the 
  main 
  beds 
  there 
  is 
  noth- 
  

   Jng 
  to 
  fear. 
  

  

  The 
  evil 
  effects 
  of 
  sudden 
  jars 
  and 
  concussions 
  are 
  proba- 
  

   bly 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  breakage 
  of 
  the 
  delicate 
  pedal 
  muscle, 
  

   which 
  after 
  the 
  spawning 
  season, 
  in 
  common 
  with 
  all 
  other 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  animal, 
  is 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  weakened 
  con- 
  

   dition. 
  

  

  In 
  explaining 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  oysters 
  in 
  deep 
  water- 
  

  

  