﻿190 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  examination 
  was 
  on 
  August 
  2d, 
  and 
  the 
  oysters 
  

   were 
  then 
  quite 
  perceptible 
  and 
  easily 
  counted. 
  

  

  The 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  tiles 
  was 
  then 
  1,506 
  ; 
  

   deducting 
  those 
  on 
  tile 
  No. 
  7, 
  there 
  were 
  1,177. 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  on 
  each 
  tile 
  varied 
  greatly, 
  the 
  maximum 
  being 
  

   348 
  and 
  the 
  minimum 
  26. 
  

  

  The 
  third 
  examination 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  23d 
  of 
  August. 
  The 
  

   oysters 
  had 
  increased 
  very 
  much 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  in 
  numbers. 
  The 
  

   total 
  number 
  on 
  the 
  tiles 
  was 
  now 
  1,331, 
  showing 
  an 
  increase 
  

   of 
  0.13 
  per 
  cent, 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  at 
  the 
  second 
  examination. 
  

   The 
  number 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  tiles 
  was 
  much 
  larger 
  

   than 
  on 
  the 
  upper. 
  

  

  A 
  tile 
  (No. 
  2) 
  was 
  removed, 
  and, 
  deducting 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  

   oysters 
  on 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  sum, 
  there 
  were 
  1202 
  still 
  on 
  the 
  hur- 
  

   dle. 
  

  

  There 
  were 
  a 
  few 
  oysters 
  injured, 
  probably, 
  by 
  raising 
  or 
  

   lowering 
  the 
  hurdle 
  from 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  bottom. 
  

  

  The 
  fourth 
  examination 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  10th 
  of 
  October. 
  

  

  The 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  was 
  then 
  539, 
  showing 
  a 
  de- 
  

   crease 
  of 
  55 
  per 
  cent. 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  examination 
  about 
  two- 
  thirds 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  were 
  of 
  

   the 
  third 
  class, 
  or 
  over 
  three-quarters 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  length, 
  

   and 
  two 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  over 
  two 
  inches 
  long, 
  being 
  thus 
  of 
  the 
  

   second 
  class. 
  All, 
  however, 
  could 
  be 
  distinguished 
  as 
  of 
  very 
  

   recent 
  growth, 
  being 
  very 
  long 
  and 
  thin, 
  with 
  thin, 
  delicate 
  

   shells, 
  easily 
  broken 
  with 
  the 
  thumb-nail 
  or 
  point 
  of 
  a 
  pen- 
  

   knife. 
  

  

  The 
  largest 
  numbers 
  were 
  still 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  sides 
  of 
  

   the 
  tiles. 
  

  

  A 
  moderate 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  had 
  been 
  injured 
  by 
  rough 
  

   handling. 
  

  

  I 
  infer 
  from 
  the 
  four 
  inspections 
  made 
  of 
  this 
  hurdle, 
  and 
  

   from 
  the 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  made 
  of 
  others 
  before 
  they 
  were 
  removed, 
  

   that 
  the 
  first 
  attachment 
  of 
  young 
  began, 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  said, 
  

   about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  July, 
  and 
  continued 
  until 
  about 
  the 
  twen- 
  

   tieth 
  of 
  August, 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  23d 
  of 
  that 
  month 
  there 
  was 
  no 
  

   indication 
  of 
  any 
  recent 
  attachment. 
  Probably 
  it 
  reaches 
  its 
  

  

  