﻿CVI 
  

  

  trust 
  tliat 
  the 
  nccurnte 
  knoAvledge 
  obtained 
  from 
  tliese 
  

   investigations 
  may 
  direct 
  legislation 
  on 
  tliis 
  hitherto 
  

   very 
  vexed 
  and 
  intricate 
  question. 
  

  

  In 
  our 
  last 
  report 
  we 
  gave 
  at 
  length 
  the 
  article 
  of 
  Prof. 
  

   W. 
  K. 
  Brooks, 
  wliose 
  services 
  had 
  been 
  secured 
  for 
  these 
  

   biological 
  investigations 
  by 
  the 
  Commission, 
  and 
  we, 
  al 
  < 
  

   through 
  the 
  courtesy 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Carlisle 
  P. 
  Patterson, 
  Super- 
  

   intendent 
  of 
  the 
  Coast 
  & 
  Geodetic 
  Survey, 
  made 
  copious 
  

   extracts 
  from 
  the 
  report 
  of 
  Master 
  Fran<4s 
  Winslow, 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  physical 
  conditions 
  and 
  surroundings 
  of 
  the 
  oyster- 
  

   beds 
  in 
  Pokomoke 
  and 
  Tangier 
  Sounds. 
  

  

  The 
  researches 
  and 
  discoveries 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Brooks 
  indicated 
  

   the 
  possibility 
  of 
  resuscitating 
  this 
  important 
  though 
  

   waning 
  industry 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  : 
  but, 
  unfortunately, 
  Dr. 
  

   Brooks 
  was 
  prevented 
  from 
  carrying 
  his 
  experiments 
  to 
  

   such 
  a 
  length 
  as 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  best 
  methods 
  of 
  taking 
  

   advantage 
  of 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  the 
  possibilities 
  of 
  the 
  ar- 
  

   tificial 
  impregnation 
  and 
  production 
  of 
  the 
  oyster. 
  

  

  The 
  development 
  of 
  our 
  oyster 
  has 
  been 
  clearly 
  mark- 
  

   ed 
  and 
  delineated 
  in 
  the 
  report 
  up 
  to 
  a 
  state 
  when 
  it 
  

   is 
  a 
  swimming 
  animal 
  and 
  frequents 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  

   water. 
  Unfortunately 
  Dr. 
  Brooks 
  was 
  not 
  able 
  to 
  ob- 
  

   serve 
  the 
  continued 
  development 
  later 
  than 
  the 
  sixth 
  

   day, 
  as 
  the 
  prox:»er 
  ai^paratus 
  had 
  not 
  then 
  been 
  devised 
  

   for 
  the 
  necessities 
  of 
  this 
  service. 
  

  

  As 
  this 
  report 
  contains 
  some 
  hints 
  Avhitdi 
  may 
  prove 
  of 
  

   much 
  importance 
  in 
  the 
  future, 
  I 
  take 
  the 
  liberty 
  of 
  

   again 
  calling 
  attention 
  to 
  them. 
  Dr. 
  Brooks 
  says 
  : 
  

  

  *' 
  All 
  my 
  attem23ts 
  to 
  get 
  later 
  stages 
  than 
  these 
  failed, 
  

   " 
  through 
  my 
  inability 
  to 
  iind 
  any 
  way 
  to 
  change 
  the 
  

   " 
  water 
  without 
  losing 
  the 
  young 
  oyster, 
  and 
  I 
  am 
  there- 
  

   " 
  fore 
  unable 
  to 
  describe 
  the 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  swim- 
  

   " 
  niing 
  embryo 
  becomes 
  converted 
  into 
  the 
  adult, 
  but 
  I 
  

   " 
  hope 
  that 
  this 
  gap 
  will 
  be 
  filled, 
  either 
  by 
  future 
  

   " 
  observations 
  of 
  my 
  own 
  or 
  by 
  those 
  of 
  some 
  other 
  eni- 
  

   " 
  bryologist. 
  • 
  

  

  '* 
  In 
  my 
  attempt 
  to 
  raise 
  the 
  oyster 
  embryo 
  from 
  the 
  

  

  