OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. 17 
The specimens submitted to the Commissioners showed be- 
yond doubt that many of the oysters had been smothered by the 
deposit, and they were very offensive. The same specimens were 
examined by Prof. Verrill of Yale College, the highest authority 
upon the subject, and he describes the worms and their work in 
the following letter : 
NEW HAVEN, June 16, 1885. 
Mr. H.C. Rowe. 
Dear Sir—I have examined the samples of seed oysters submitted by you. 
The large masses of sandy tubes which cover the shells of the oysters, both 
living and dead, are made by a small worm, about an inch long, which was first 
described and figured by myself in 1872, in the first volume of the Reports of 
the United States Fish Commission. It is there named sadellaria vulgaris, the 
first part of the name. referring to its using sand for its tube, while the latter 
part was given to it because of its common occurrence. This Latin or scientific 
name might be translated as the ‘‘common sand-tube builder.” It is very com- 
mon from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras, building its tubes on stones and all sorts 
of shells as well as on oysters. It grows very rapidly, like other marine worms, 
and when abundant its tubes interlock and form rough crusts, often an inch or 
more in thickness. Such rough and porous crusts serve to catch the floating 
particles of mud and organic debris, which will subsequently putrify and turn 
black in the interior part of the crusts, evolving sulphuretted hydrogen and 
other poisonous and offensive substances. As these worms grow much faster 
than the seed oysters, they can easily bury them so deeply under the crust of 
tubes that the oysters will die, either for lack of a supply of pure water and 
food, or in consequence of the directly poisonous gases produced by the putrid 
substances in the crust. In other words the worms, by their rapid growth and 
the closeness of their crusts, may be said to ‘‘smother” the seed oysters. The 
large oysters seem to be capable of resisting their effects in most cases., Other 
creatures, with similar habits, have been known to produce the same effect on 
oyster beds, but this is the first time that this particular kind of worm has been 
shown to be destructive to oyster beds. I think, therefore, that you are deserv- 
ing of a great deal of credit in calling attention to this new kind of pest. 
Very respectfully yours, 
A. E. VERRILL. 
Whether further examinations verified Mr. Rowe’s first con- 
clusion as to the extent of his losses is not known. Since Prof. 
Verrill’s letter but little has been heard upon the subject by the 
Commissioners. Hence it is hoped that the damage was not so 
