124 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
last survey was made. It was, therefore, necessary to place new sig- 
nal stations before commencing upon the regular observations, but by 
July 1 the hydrography in Tangier Sound had been nearly completed, 
and the dredging was soon to be taken up. The former consisted 
chiefly of cross lines of soundings with appropriate instruments, which 
were run at close intervals and with sufficient care and accuracy to 
permit of the construction of a chart showing the precise outlines of all 
the oyster-beds, of the bottom occupied by scattered oysters, and of the 
barren ground. 
Tangier Sound is about 36 miles long, from Watts Island to the head 
of Fishing Bay. Along both sides of the channel the oyster-ground is 
practically continuous, except in the vicinity of Jane Island light-house. 
Covering more or less of this bottom are large natural oyster-beds, 
generally elongate in shape, many of them bordering close upon the 
channel. It was found that the persistent dredging which has been 
kept up in this region for so many years has tended to extend the area 
of oysters and oyster shells, and to consolidate the beds by filling up 
the intermediate areas. Without having complete returns from the 
investigation, however, it is only possible to say that the total area 
covered by oysters seems to be considerably greater now than it was in 
1878, but the comparative richness of the bottom can not be determined 
until the information obtained by dredging has been compiled. Com- 
paratively little variation was found in the density of the water, which, 
during May and June, averaged 1.011 in the northern part of the 
sound, 1.012 in the central part, and 1.0124 in the southern part. 
PROPOSED STUDY OF EUROPEAN OYSTER-CULTURE. 
In some parts of Europe, where the market supply of oysters is largely 
maintained by resorting to artificial methods of propagation, oyster- 
culture has been carried to a high state of perfection, quite in advance 
of any system that has been practiced in this country. Where the 
natural beds of oysters along our own coasts are still sufficiently pro- 
ductive, or where the seed for forming new beds can be obtained abun- 
dantly under natural conditions, no further efforts are demanded for 
the conduct of the oyster industry than to follow the simple methods 
nowinuse. Unfortunately, in many of the older and more extensive 
oyster districts, it is complained that the natural supply of seed is not 
equal to the requirements, and much concern is felt lest the beds be- 
come impoverished on that account. Genuine oyster-culture is un- 
knownin the United States, and none of the experiments hitherto tried 
in that line have served to develop a thoroughly practical American 
system. The Fish Commission report for 1880 contains translations of 
the principal French and German publications on this subjeet which 
had appeared previous to that date, but many changes have taken 
place since then, and in France especially the industry has made great 
