﻿163 
  

  

  or 
  not, 
  and 
  by 
  comparing 
  the 
  ratios 
  of 
  successive 
  seasons, 
  the 
  

   increase 
  or 
  decrease 
  constant 
  or 
  otherwise, 
  could 
  be 
  ascer- 
  

   tained, 
  and 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  in 
  ensuing 
  seasons 
  predicted. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  have 
  another 
  and 
  more 
  correct 
  standard 
  for 
  

   comparison, 
  and 
  to 
  arrive 
  at 
  certain 
  conclusions 
  as 
  to 
  whether 
  

   the 
  spatting 
  in 
  any 
  season 
  was 
  general 
  and 
  extending 
  to 
  all 
  

   beds 
  or 
  conlined 
  to 
  particular 
  localities, 
  and 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  know 
  

   accurately 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  03'sters 
  surviving 
  each 
  period 
  of 
  

   their 
  perceptive 
  existence, 
  numbers 
  of 
  spat 
  collectors 
  were 
  

   deposited 
  upon 
  the 
  diflerent 
  beds. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  the 
  intention 
  to 
  frequently 
  inspect 
  these 
  tiles, 
  and 
  

   by 
  counting 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  on 
  each 
  tile 
  at 
  each 
  ex- 
  

   amination 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  surviving 
  would 
  be 
  ascer- 
  

   tained, 
  and 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  the 
  previously 
  established 
  classes 
  would 
  

   be 
  decided. 
  

  

  Thus 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  a 
  community 
  of 
  oysters, 
  free 
  from 
  the 
  

   dredging 
  influence 
  and 
  protected 
  from 
  all 
  but 
  natural 
  ene- 
  

   mies, 
  would 
  be 
  before 
  us 
  from 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  attachment 
  

   until 
  they 
  reached 
  maturity. 
  

  

  The 
  study 
  of 
  their 
  embryological 
  life 
  properly 
  belonged 
  to 
  

   the 
  z5ological 
  student, 
  and 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  propagation 
  and 
  

   the 
  successive 
  stages 
  of 
  that 
  life 
  must 
  be 
  left 
  to 
  him 
  to 
  deter- 
  

   mine 
  It 
  is 
  valuable 
  to 
  the 
  inquiry 
  under 
  consideration, 
  but 
  

   not 
  essential, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  we 
  may 
  neglect 
  the 
  early 
  

   ■stages 
  of 
  life, 
  and 
  yet 
  arrive 
  at 
  correct 
  conclusions 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  mature 
  oysters 
  necessary 
  to 
  support 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  

   their 
  best 
  condition. 
  

  

  In 
  next 
  importance 
  to 
  the 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  absolute 
  fecund- 
  

   ity 
  of 
  the 
  bed, 
  is 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  those 
  conditions 
  which 
  would 
  

   influence 
  it, 
  and 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  no 
  cause 
  for 
  the 
  deterioration 
  

   should 
  be 
  neglected, 
  and 
  that 
  all 
  information 
  bearing 
  in 
  any 
  

   way 
  upon 
  the 
  propagation 
  and 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  might 
  be 
  

   collected, 
  several 
  matters 
  of 
  secondary 
  importance 
  have 
  been 
  

   subjected 
  to 
  investigation 
  and 
  the 
  results 
  embodied 
  in 
  either 
  

   this 
  or 
  my 
  previous 
  report. 
  

  

  Included 
  under 
  this 
  head 
  are 
  — 
  

  

  Investigations 
  into 
  the 
  temperatures 
  and 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  

  

  