﻿69 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  oyster 
  when 
  

   about 
  two 
  years 
  old. 
  The 
  animals 
  wlien 
  divested 
  of 
  

   their 
  shells 
  were 
  larger 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species 
  

   from 
  other 
  localities, 
  and 
  were 
  all 
  in 
  good 
  condition, 
  the 
  

   ova 
  and 
  spermatozoa 
  being 
  rii)e, 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  oozing 
  

   from 
  the 
  oviducts, 
  and 
  in 
  all 
  cases 
  in 
  admirable 
  condi- 
  

   tion 
  for 
  artificial 
  fertilization, 
  the 
  eggs 
  being 
  well 
  de- 
  

   fined, 
  and 
  with 
  but 
  little 
  granular 
  matter 
  among 
  them, 
  

   while 
  the 
  spermatozoa 
  were 
  exceedingly 
  active. 
  

  

  I 
  had 
  intended 
  to 
  examine 
  carefully 
  the 
  ovaries, 
  gills 
  

   and 
  mantles 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  oysters 
  at 
  my 
  disposal 
  with 
  the 
  

   intention 
  of 
  detecting 
  the 
  existence, 
  should 
  there 
  be 
  any 
  

   embryos 
  within 
  the 
  shell, 
  but 
  the 
  pressure 
  of 
  other 
  du- 
  

   ties 
  and 
  the 
  disadvantages 
  under 
  which 
  I 
  labored 
  left 
  me 
  

   but 
  little 
  time 
  and 
  few 
  opportunities 
  to 
  devote 
  to 
  the 
  

   matter, 
  and 
  consequently 
  I 
  am 
  unable 
  to 
  state 
  positively 
  

   that 
  in 
  some 
  among 
  the 
  limited 
  number 
  in 
  my 
  possession, 
  

   the 
  embroys 
  were 
  not 
  fostered 
  within 
  the 
  shell 
  of 
  the 
  

   parent. 
  I 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  examine 
  between 
  twenty 
  and 
  

   thirty 
  oysters 
  only 
  ; 
  these 
  at 
  least 
  contained 
  no 
  embryos, 
  

   though 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  expelling 
  the 
  contents 
  of 
  the 
  

   generative 
  organs, 
  as 
  I 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  gills 
  of 
  two, 
  ova 
  

   unimpregnated, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  gills 
  of 
  another, 
  spermatozoa. 
  

  

  In 
  making 
  the 
  experiment 
  I 
  followed 
  carefully 
  the 
  

   method 
  of 
  Dr. 
  W. 
  K, 
  Brooks, 
  as 
  described 
  by 
  him 
  in 
  

   his 
  jmijer 
  on 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  Americon 
  oyster, 
  

   (Report 
  of 
  the 
  Commissioners 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  of 
  Maryland, 
  

   1880,) 
  and 
  I 
  am 
  compelled 
  to 
  refer 
  to 
  his 
  figures, 
  given 
  in 
  

   that 
  report, 
  from 
  the 
  want 
  of 
  suitable 
  instruments 
  and 
  

   conveniences 
  for 
  making 
  those 
  of 
  my 
  own. 
  As 
  I 
  care 
  

   fully 
  followed 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  through 
  each 
  

   stage, 
  comparing 
  those 
  under 
  the 
  microscope 
  with 
  the 
  

   figures 
  at 
  freqiient 
  intervals, 
  as 
  the 
  successive 
  stages 
  of 
  

   development 
  are 
  well 
  marked, 
  and 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  witnessed 
  

   many 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  Dr. 
  Brooks, 
  and 
  have 
  

   likewise 
  observed 
  them 
  while 
  working 
  independently 
  

   during 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1879, 
  I 
  think 
  my 
  observations 
  maj' 
  

  

  