194 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
In September, 1890, Mr. William P. Seal, superintendent of aquaria 
of the U. S. Fish Commission, visited this region for the purpose of 
obtaining a collection of living fishes. Mr. Barton A. Bean, assistant 
curator of the department of fishes in the U. 8S. National Museum, 
accompanied the party and has published a list* of the fishes there 
observed, which is an important contribution to the knowledge of the 
fish fauna of the lower Chesapeake. Sixty-nine species were detected 
during a visit of two weeks and an inquiry made earlier in the season 
woulddoubtless demonstrate the occurrence of a great many additional 
species. 
At Cape Charles an inspection of the works of the International 
Oyster Company was made, and an opportunity was there afforded to 
witness the'method of ‘“ wiring” oysters for distant shipment in the 
shell, on which process this company holds letters patent. The method 
originated with Mr. A. A. Freeman, the present manager of the com- 
pany, and was first employed on a small scale in Philadelphia. In 1888 
a stock company was formed to utilize the principle and the plant was 
‘located where itnow is. The ‘“ wiring” is a simple process, consisting 
of the application of a rather stout wire tightly around the valves of 
the oyster. At first all the work was done with pliers and was neces- 
sarily slow, but in November, 1890, special machines were introduced, 
by means of which one man has been known to wire 48 oysters in a 
minute, but the average is much less. The advantage claimed for this 
process is that the natural juices are retained and the deterioration in 
quality which ensues upon their evaporation is prevented. In the pro- 
spectus which the company’issues, Prof. John A. Ryder is quoted as 
indorsmg the value of the method as follows: 
T have examined and had in my possession a number of wired oysters, and I ?m 
satisfied that the oyster can be preserved when the shells are thus wired for a con- 
siderable length of time. I have carefully examined oysters which I am satisfied 
have been wired for sixty days and | find that their vitality is fully preserved and 
the oyster in no way deteriorated in quality or flavor. I think the process of pre- 
serving oysters by placing a wire around them is a practically useful process, and 
in my opinion would lead to the transportation of oysters to distant points as an 
article of commerce, when it would be otherwise impossible to transport them alive 
in the shell. 
* Proceedings of U, S. National Museum, vol. xrv, p. 83. 
