﻿218 
  

  

  an 
  oyster 
  ground, 
  is 
  an 
  unfailing 
  sign 
  of 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  a 
  

   patch 
  or 
  bed. 
  

  

  Considering 
  the 
  success 
  which 
  has 
  attended 
  the 
  investiga- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  Prof. 
  Brooks, 
  and 
  the 
  new 
  h'ght 
  which 
  it 
  has 
  thrown 
  

   upon 
  the 
  cmhryological 
  hfe 
  of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  I 
  think 
  that 
  perhaps 
  

   the 
  most 
  efficacious 
  means 
  of 
  maintaining 
  the 
  productive 
  

   power 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  would 
  be 
  in 
  bringing, 
  if 
  such 
  be 
  possible, 
  

   the 
  artificial 
  impregnation 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  subsequent 
  care 
  of 
  

   the 
  young 
  to 
  such 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  perfection 
  as 
  would 
  be 
  of 
  prac- 
  

   tical 
  utility. 
  

  

  Prof. 
  Brooks 
  is, 
  of 
  course, 
  the 
  best 
  person 
  to 
  devise 
  the 
  

   method 
  of 
  successfullj^ 
  continuing 
  his 
  experiment, 
  and 
  I 
  hope 
  

   that 
  he 
  may 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  do 
  so, 
  and 
  that 
  they 
  will 
  meet 
  with 
  

   complete 
  success, 
  and, 
  as 
  pertinent 
  to 
  his 
  work, 
  which 
  is 
  mainly 
  

   conducted 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  aquaria, 
  I 
  would 
  suggest 
  that 
  the 
  study 
  

   of 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  changes 
  of 
  temperature, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  they 
  afifect 
  

   the 
  embryo, 
  can 
  be 
  best 
  and 
  most 
  easily 
  done 
  while 
  engaged 
  

   upon 
  the 
  attempt 
  to 
  artificially 
  raise 
  them. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  arrive 
  

   at 
  certain 
  conclusions, 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  changes 
  of 
  

   density 
  or 
  of 
  temperature, 
  the 
  investigation, 
  if 
  conducted 
  on 
  

   the 
  natural 
  beds, 
  must 
  be 
  extended 
  over 
  many 
  seasons 
  in 
  order 
  

   to 
  insure 
  by 
  a 
  coincidence 
  of 
  temperatures 
  or 
  densities 
  and 
  

   results 
  the 
  elimination 
  of 
  other 
  affecting 
  conditions. 
  

  

  The 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  temperature 
  seems 
  so 
  important 
  that 
  any 
  

   suffsestion 
  with 
  reo-ard 
  to 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  value 
  and 
  should 
  claim 
  at- 
  

   tention. 
  

  

  I 
  would 
  also 
  recommend 
  that 
  some 
  person 
  inspect 
  and 
  count 
  

   at 
  intervals 
  the 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  spat 
  collector 
  in 
  the 
  Big 
  Anne- 
  

   messex 
  Kiver. 
  It 
  is 
  securely 
  moored 
  and 
  buoyed 
  witii 
  a 
  spar 
  

   buoy, 
  and 
  probably 
  will 
  remain 
  in 
  place. 
  

  

  With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  the 
  Sounds, 
  I 
  

   can 
  only 
  renew 
  my 
  previous 
  recommendations 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  

   year. 
  

  

  The 
  deterioration 
  of 
  any 
  bed 
  will 
  be 
  evident 
  by 
  abnormal 
  

   rates 
  of 
  young 
  growth 
  to 
  mature 
  oysters, 
  by 
  a 
  small 
  and 
  de- 
  

   creasing 
  proportion 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard, 
  by 
  large 
  and 
  increas- 
  

   ing 
  percentage 
  of 
  broken 
  shells 
  and 
  other 
  debt'is, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  

   appearance 
  of 
  the 
  oysters, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  described. 
  

  

  