12 EIGHTH REPORT OF THE SHELL FISH COMMISSIONERS 
During the past year an act of considerable importance was 
passed by Congress and approved June 29 1888. It is entitled 
“an act to prevent obstructing and injuring deposits within the 
harbor and adjacent waters of New York City by dumping or 
otherwise, and to punish and prevent such offenses.”’ <A copy of 
the law will be found in the Appendix to this Report. It will be 
seen that the provisions of the law are applicable to the waters of 
Long Island Sound, and consequently to the grouunds set apart 
by the Commissioners for dumping. Lieut. J. J. Hunker of the 
U.S. Navy has been appointed to see that the law is properly 
enforced. Ina public notice recently issued by him, it is.stated 
that ‘“ where it is desired to place material in Long Island Sound, 
special permits may be granted, when they will not interfere with 
the laws of the United States relating to harbor lines, or the 
State and municipal, sanitary or other laws.” 
From personal interviews and written communications between 
Lieut. Hunker and the Commissioners, the belief is entertained 
that there will be such coéperation in enforcing the National and 
State laws upon the waters of the Sound, that the National law 
will prove an additional protection to the oyster grounds of the 
State. The Commissioners commend the law to the careful con- 
sideration of all who are interested in the subject of dumping 
waste material in the Sound. 
STARFISH. 
That starfish have become a serious check to the profitable cul- 
tivation of oysters in the waters of the State, cannot be denied. 
Although by diligence and hard labor, small beds are frequently 
saved from their attacks, it is nevertheless true that in spite of 
every effort, they will often make irruptions upon large beds and 
utterly destroy them before the owner becomes aware of their pres- 
ence. A fifty-acre bed of not quite one year old oysters, in excellent 
condition, at Westport, was thus destroyed in a few days during 
the past year; and this is but one instance of many similar losses. 
Few cultivators in the State have escaped them. ‘They begin to 
spawn about the beginning of July, from two to four weeks be- 
fore the oyster, and they continue through August. By Septem- 
ber and October the young have grown large enough to show 
their destructive propensities. They begin by attacking the 
young oysters near them. As the shell of the young oyster is 
tender, they readily break through it, and soon eat it out. When 
