﻿188 
  

  

  the 
  probability 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  dredge 
  would 
  bring 
  up 
  a 
  larger 
  

   number 
  from 
  the 
  old 
  than 
  from 
  the 
  new 
  beds. 
  

  

  The 
  smallness 
  of 
  the 
  proportions 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  beds 
  may 
  be 
  

   due 
  to 
  the 
  greater 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  hardness 
  of 
  the 
  bottom, 
  

   though 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  differ 
  greatly 
  in 
  that 
  respect 
  from 
  the 
  beds 
  

   in 
  the 
  Bay, 
  however 
  much 
  from 
  those 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  Sound. 
  

  

  It 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  wise 
  to 
  decide 
  hastily 
  upon 
  the 
  evidence 
  of 
  

   the 
  proportions, 
  that 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  either 
  deteriorating 
  or 
  the 
  

   reverse, 
  especially 
  as 
  the 
  comparison 
  has 
  been 
  but 
  of 
  two 
  sea- 
  

   sons. 
  If, 
  after 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  continued 
  for 
  some 
  time, 
  there 
  

   should 
  be 
  an 
  increased 
  proportion 
  shown, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  considered 
  

   differently, 
  but 
  as 
  all 
  experience 
  testifies 
  to 
  the 
  deterioration 
  

   of 
  the 
  beds, 
  the 
  inconsistency 
  of 
  the 
  results 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  ta- 
  

   ble 
  can 
  probably 
  be 
  explained 
  in 
  another 
  way 
  than 
  by 
  assum- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  standard 
  proportion 
  to 
  be 
  too 
  great, 
  and 
  this 
  explana- 
  

   tion 
  will 
  be 
  subsequently 
  attempted. 
  

  

  INFORMATION 
  OBTAINED 
  FROM 
  " 
  SPAT 
  COLLECTORS." 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  ascertain 
  when 
  the 
  first 
  attachment 
  of 
  young 
  

   took 
  place 
  on 
  each 
  bed, 
  the 
  comparative 
  extent 
  of 
  such 
  at- 
  

   tachment, 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  bottom 
  and 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  upon 
  

   the 
  attachment, 
  and, 
  finally, 
  the 
  increase 
  in 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  

   and 
  the 
  number 
  surviving 
  each 
  period 
  of 
  their 
  existence, 
  I 
  

   placed, 
  early 
  in 
  July, 
  twenty-four 
  spat 
  collectors 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  

   in 
  the 
  Sounds. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  regret 
  that 
  the 
  collectors 
  were 
  removed 
  by 
  

   some 
  ill 
  disposed 
  persons 
  almost 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  placed. 
  

  

  The 
  last 
  hurdle, 
  as 
  the 
  bundle 
  of 
  tiles 
  were 
  called, 
  was 
  

   placed 
  in 
  position 
  on 
  July 
  14th, 
  and 
  on 
  July 
  15th 
  only 
  four 
  

   remained 
  in 
  position, 
  and 
  after 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  August 
  there 
  was 
  

   but 
  one 
  left 
  (No. 
  7, 
  in 
  the 
  Big 
  Annemessex 
  River). 
  

  

  The 
  hurdles 
  were 
  composed 
  of 
  eight 
  or 
  sixteen 
  half 
  round 
  

   tiles, 
  lashed 
  on 
  a 
  wooden 
  frame, 
  and 
  so 
  arranged 
  that 
  the 
  

   frame 
  rested 
  on 
  the 
  bottom, 
  the 
  tiles 
  being 
  thus 
  raised 
  about 
  

   six 
  inches 
  above 
  the 
  surface. 
  

  

  The 
  tiles 
  were 
  ordinary 
  earthenware 
  ones, 
  unglazed, 
  and 
  

   were 
  always 
  placed 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  have 
  their 
  concave 
  side 
  underneath. 
  

  

  